"In this Online Environment, We're Limited": Exploring Inclusive Video Conferencing Design for Signers

Title of the Paper

"In this online environment, we’re limited": Exploring Inclusive Video Conferencing Design for Signers

Paper Information

• Topic Area: Inclusive design for video conferencing, specifically addressing the needs of users who primarily communicate using sign language (e.g., American Sign Language, ASL).
• Keywords: American Sign Language (ASL), sign language interpretation, accessibility design, inclusive design, video conferencing platforms, remote research methods, online collaboration, DHH (Deaf and Hard of Hearing), interaction design, cognitive challenges.

Research Background and Issues

• Problems or Challenges:

  1. The rapid adoption of video conferencing technology, especially during the pandemic, has become an integral part of daily life. However, Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) individuals face significant accessibility barriers in these technologies, particularly users who primarily communicate through sign language (referred to as signers).
  2. Current video conferencing platforms typically prioritize hearing users, designing features based on audio (e.g., active speaker audio detection) and text-based functionalities (e.g., chat, captions), often neglecting support for visual communication, such as the video clarity required for sign language.
  3. Deaf signers relying on interpreters are still unable to fully participate in online interactions, as existing platforms fail to adequately define "effective communication" to meet the needs of multi-party collaboration and interaction.

• Significance of the Research: Communication for sign language users requires visual clarity and smooth connectivity. Current designs fail to adequately meet these needs, creating barriers to their online social, professional, and educational activities.

• Motivation and Related Work: This research aims to address the gap between video conferencing and the accessibility needs of sign language users. Related studies have primarily focused on sign language recognition or its use in classroom settings, with limited attention to real-time computer-assisted ASL communication, particularly through community-based sign language interpretation.

Proposed Solution

• Proposed Method or Solution: This study adopts a user-centered research approach, conducting 12 interviews and 4 co-design workshops to thoroughly understand participants' needs and real-world challenges.

  • Participants included 8 Deaf individuals who primarily use American Sign Language and 8 community sign language interpreters.
  • The research process was designed to be conducted remotely, aligning with the products being explored.

• Innovative Aspects:

  1. This study provides first-hand data on the experiences of sign language users and interpreters in remote video conferencing.
  2. It proposes design recommendations for improving existing video conferencing platforms, focusing on user-driven, feasible innovations.
  3. It introduces a set of underexplored remote research methods for conducting scientific collaboration with the Deaf community.

• Implementation Steps and Key Techniques:

  • Conduct interviews to analyze users' barriers in understanding information, communication, and collaboration.
  • Implement co-design sessions to conceptualize specific features that facilitate accessible video conferencing, such as customizable video layouts, non-auditory alerts, and visual adjustments.
  • Utilize video recordings, participatory observation, and seamless integration of research interpreters to ensure data usability and reliability.

Research Outcomes

• Specific Findings:

  1. Conducted a detailed analysis of video conferencing experiences, identifying the needs and barriers faced by Deaf sign language users and the shortcomings of current platforms, including lack of visual clarity, communication delays, and challenges in multi-party collaboration.
  2. Proposed a series of design recommendations for video conferencing platforms, including:
     • Flexible video layout and zoom adjustments.
     • Development of non-auditory alert features (e.g., visual or haptic feedback).
     • Introduction of privacy-friendly communication channels between interpreters and sign language users.
     • Provision of accessibility templates for video conferencing.
  3. Summarized experiences for researchers conducting remote studies with the Deaf community to improve future research methodologies.

• Comparative Advantages: This study addresses the overlooked area of "ASL user-centered collaborative experience design" in existing literature, proposing pragmatic solutions derived from direct user feedback rather than focusing solely on developing new tools for speech recognition and translation.

• Experimental Results and Evaluation:

  • The design requirements identified through participant feedback were considered highly specific and targeted.
  • The diverse user backgrounds and co-design approach ensured that the proposed design recommendations were practical and well-aligned with user needs.

• Limitations and Future Directions:

  • Limitations: This study focused on a small number of participants and specific use cases (e.g., educational meetings) and did not comprehensively cover all possible Deaf communication scenarios.
  • Future Directions:
    • Investigate the unique challenges faced by younger Deaf users (e.g., K-12 students) in video conferencing.
    • Test the applicability of the current recommendations in non-educational contexts and develop specific prototypes.
    • Explore how virtual reality or haptic feedback can facilitate three-dimensional online sign language communication.
    • Further study how to address the entrenched "phonocentrism" in functional design within video conferencing platforms.

This study integrates user needs with the potential for system improvements, offering innovative directions for how video conferencing technology can support broader communication methods.