Limitations encountered by hearing impaired students in communication inspire a group of students of Yogyakarta State University to modify articulation mirror into portable articulation mirror for hearing impaired students.

As hearing impaired students  communicate not only by sign language but also by expressions, they also learn how to recognise facial expressions and lips movements. At schools, they practice the skills using mirrors, media to show appropiate articulations and pronunciation as they moving their mouths.

“However, mastering the skills to understand those expressions need longer practices and habit formation than learning sign language,”, Erbi Bunyanuddin, a student of the Special Education Study Program, said to the reporter.

Therefore, the student research community of Yogyakarta State University modify articulation mirrors into portable articulation mirrors for hearing impaired students “We need to make a more practical and portable media for learning language expressions to facilitate the students to practice language expressions.”

Portable Articulation Mirror (PAM) is a modification of articulation mirrors developed by Erbi Bunyanuddin (Special Education Study program), Rahayu Rizky Prathamie (Frech Language and Literature Education Study Program), Doni Bowo Nugroho (Physics Education Study Program), Muhammad Nur Huda and Rizki Juninato (Electrical Enginnering Education Study Program).

They modify this PAM which has a size of an A4 paper, powered by batteries. It is supported by indicator lights indicating the volume, speakers and microphone. “Those students can learn the language anywhere, anytime and with anyone,” Rahayu Rizky Prathamie said. “Their parents can also assist the children to learn language expressions at home,”.

Doni Bowo Nugroho explained how to use PAM. “Place the PAM horizontally and make sure that your eyes are in a line with the power switch. Turn the switch on. Connect jack microphone to microphone port. After that, adjust the volume balance, treble and bass as you need.” The teacher sits at the left side of the student. Make sure that the student can see the teacher’s and his lips within the distance of 35 to 55 cm through PAM. Next, the teacher uses the microphone and gives an example to pronounce and articulate an alphabet or a word.

After the indicator light turns on—signaling there is a voice to be imitated, the students practice to imitate it by using their microphone,” she continued.

PAM succeeds to pass calibration test and to be implemented to deafs in  Karnna Condongcatur, Yogyakarta.