An American Sign Language HIV Video Survey for Deaf Adolescents

Introduction: It essential, yet difficult to survey low-literacy populations about HIV risk. While pencil-and-paper surveys are cost effective, they may be inaccessible to those who cannot read well. Telephone surveys are not useful for those who are not reachable via telephone. Because these two conditions obtain for most of the US deaf population, this is a difficult group to survey. Yet deaf adolescents, like their hearing age-peers, are at risk for HIV. Objective: Develop a methodology for surveying deaf adolescents, especially those who use American Sign Language (ASL) as their main communication mode, regarding HIV knowledge, attitudes, and risk behaviors. Methods: Steps used to develop a bilingual laptop-based Video Survey, suitable for deaf adolescents, available in ASL and English: item selection from relevant domains (e.g. demographics, deaf identity, drug and alcohol use, HIV knowledge, HIV stigma, sexual risk behavior), translation of items into ASL, expert review and back translation of ASL items, focus groups, revising translations of key items, creating final ASL and English 'scripts', hiring sign models, digital videotaping and programming of survey, establishing contact with deaf high schools to plan for survey implementation. Results: A final bilingual ASL-English Video Survey is ready for deployment in the field. The Video Survey along with preliminary results will be presented. Conclusion: While fielding of the Video Survey will begin in February 2007, a pilot test has indicated high acceptability and accessibility of the survey by a deaf adolescent population. This Video Survey method also has applicability to other low-literacy populations.