Plan Your Day

MIST: Survey Tool for Diverse Language Communities

Exhibit Code: GOR-132
Zone: Field House
Location: Gordon Field House And Activities Center (GOR/024) - First Floor
Time: All Day

Description:
Imagine a deaf student at a university health center filling out a personal health history on a laptop. She’d like to be asked the health questions in ASL, her best language. She taps the screen and a native ASL signer appears: … “Does anyone in your family have diabetes?” … Imagine a Native American woman taking a public health department survey about intimate partner violence. The computer lets her choose among several video-recorded community members to speak each sensitive question in the community’s preferred language. She picks one she trusts, who begins: …“Has an intimate partner ever hit, slapped, pushed, kicked, or physically hurt you in any way?” ... Imagine college employment centers at NTID, Gallaudet, and community colleges all across the nation receiving a steady stream of completed employment satisfaction questionnaires from deaf alumni eager to respond to questions about the successes and barriers they faced in the workforce – questions delivered according to each alum’s personal choice in either ASL or Signed English by a respected Deaf professional from their alma mater. Imagine MIST... an interactive computer program for presenting culturally appropriate surveys in signed or spoken languages. MIST lets organizations obtain accurate, culturally trust-worthy information from the underrepresented communities they serve. MIST is a satisfying survey experience for people who traditionally experience restricted access to health and social services, educational programs, and other opportunities due to linguistic and cultural barriers. Come and experience the MIST touch-screen survey tool and learn how MIST can help you improve services and reduce disparities in health, education, and more for many diverse communities.

Exhibitors:
Vincent Samar, Steven Barnett, PEARL SOMANI