Sign language usage of deaf or hard of hearing Sri Lankans.

In Sri Lanka, about 300,000 Sinhala speaking people are either deaf or hard of hearing (DHH) and would benefit from a common Sinhala sign language, technological resources such as captioning, and educational and social support. There is no fully developed common sign language for members of the Sinhalese community, a severe shortage of sign language interpreters, and few resources for teachers. This exploratory study was undertaken in all nine provinces of Sri Lanka into the use of sign language, access to education for people with disabilities, and the availability of trained or qualified educators to work with the DHH people. Data were gathered via interviews and focus groups with Special Education Assistant Directors, Principals and Teachers in Deaf Schools, and Teachers of Special Education Deaf Units in mainstream schools. The DHH members of Sri Lankan society are marginalized, under-supported, and require urgent attention to their educational and social needs. This study provides a basis for much needed attention and reform.

"If you can breathe, you can dance": Fine lines contemporary dance for mature bodies in Melbourne, Australia.

Older women ballet and contemporary dancers resist the pervasive stereotypes of the dancing body as young, graceful, and athletic. They embody and enact a generative habitus, resisting cultural socialization that would deny them voice, visibility, and validation. This study explores the understandings of a group of older women dancers who are members of the Fine Lines contemporary dance ensemble for mature bodies, Melbourne, Australia. The data for this phenomenological study were gathered in 2017 and employ Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis as an analytic strategy. Our findings are reported under three overarching themes: Dance as a Community, Older Women Dancing, and Learning: Choreography and Improvisation.