A phenomenological analysis of the #KuyaKimAnoNa segment of the 24 Oras newscast’s graphical elements for deaf viewers

Abstract

This phenomenological study, influenced by Radcliffe-Structural Brown’s Structural Functionalism and Bortha’s (2017) Minimalism Theory, explores the impact of the #KuyaKimAnoNa part of 24 Oras newscasts on deaf viewers. In-depth interviews were used to analyze the lived experiences of nine individuals. Four major themes emerged: modification of the TV inset size for deaf visual sign recognition and understanding; minimal visual components aid deaf people in understanding the message; familiarization and exposure to the deaf community’s preferred language; and simplification of the layout for better deaf perception and understanding of the message. This study concludes that changing the size of the TV inset is the only way to improve social inclusion. Deaf viewers, on the other hand, prefer a more straightforward structure. To increase their comprehension of deaf viewers’ language and signs, SLIs and multimedia practitioners must be exposed to and be familiar with the deaf community’s culture and preferred language. TV networks, on the other hand, may consider streamlining their layout into deaf-friendly designs or employing minimal graphical features to allow deaf viewers access to information and social integration; this must adhere to a structural model to be functional.