Sparkling Silence:Practices and Challenges of Livestreaming Among Deaf or Hard of Hearing Streamers

Document Title

Sparkling Silence: Practices and Challenges of Livestreaming Among Deaf or Hard of Hearing Streamers

Document Information

• Field of Study: Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Accessibility of Livestreaming Platforms, Social Participation of Deaf or Hard of Hearing Individuals
• Keywords: Deaf or Hard of Hearing (DHH), Livestreaming, Accessibility, Social Media, Online Communities

Research Background and Issues

• Identified Problems or Challenges: Current livestreaming platforms heavily rely on audio features, significantly limiting the user experience for DHH individuals. Additionally, the Chinese DHH community primarily uses natural sign language, but regional variations in sign language exacerbate communication barriers.
• Importance of the Issue: By 2050, approximately 2.5 billion people worldwide will experience varying degrees of hearing loss. Neglecting the livestreaming needs of the DHH community not only impacts inclusivity but also hinders social acceptance and cultural dissemination.
• Research Motivation and Related Work:
  • Existing studies largely focus on livestreaming experiences of hearing individuals or practices among visually impaired streamers, with little exploration of DHH individuals' livestreaming experiences.
  • While the accessibility of information and technology for DHH groups has been widely studied, there is a need to address the synchronization, interactivity, and cultural and social context impacts on user experience in livestreaming environments.

Proposed Solutions

• Methods or Solutions Proposed:
  • Conducted semi-structured interviews with 15 Chinese DHH livestreamers to analyze their motivations, interaction practices, and challenges encountered during livestreaming.
  • Proposed design recommendations to improve accessibility on livestreaming platforms, including real-time caption generation, support for sign language translation technology, and interface optimization.
• Innovations:
  • Systematic analysis of interaction patterns among DHH livestreamers and the influence of their unique cultural background for the first time.
  • Suggested innovative design ideas, such as real-time recognition and captioning based on sign language, and the need for training datasets for regional sign languages.
• Implementation Steps and Key Technologies:
  1. Recruit 15 DHH livestreamers, conduct preliminary surveys and profile reviews to design targeted interviews.
  2. Execute interviews via text messaging, online meetings (with the assistance of sign language interpreters), or livestreaming platforms.
  3. Analyze data using open coding methods, combining deductive and inductive techniques to extract core themes.

Research Findings

• Specific Findings:

  • Identified four primary motivations for DHH livestreamers: economic benefits, social needs, self-expression and performance, and promoting cultural identity within the DHH community.
  • Described diverse interaction forms during livestreaming, including sign language, text (writing boards or screen text), spoken language, background music, and collaborative livestreaming or PK sessions.
  • Summarized four categories of challenges: technical barriers (lack of real-time captions, small windows, etc.), interaction difficulties (sign language diversity, challenges in real-time responses), lack of platform content moderation, and social bias and discrimination.

• Advantages Compared to Existing Solutions:

  • Provided an in-depth analysis of interaction patterns between DHH livestreamers and their audiences (both DHH and non-DHH), aiding platform developers in designing more targeted services.
  • Proposed specific design recommendations, such as a real-time captioning system based on sign language recognition and optimization of window size and interface design.

• Experimental or Evaluation Results:

  • Interview results revealed that DHH livestreamers generally believe current platform designs fail to meet their cultural identity and interaction needs, and they hold high expectations for functional improvements.
  • Many DHH livestreamers expressed that real-time captioning and sign language recognition technology could significantly enhance interaction experiences, especially between DHH and non-DHH groups.

• Limitations and Future Directions:

  • Limitations: The study focuses on young DHH individuals who use natural sign language, with limited coverage of those who do not use sign language or belong to older age groups; the sample size is restricted, potentially failing to fully represent the broader picture.
  • Future Directions: Develop livestreaming platforms specifically designed for both DHH and hearing users, particularly by actively involving DHH users in the early stages of technical design and conducting continuous user experience testing.

Improvement Suggestions

1. Enhance the adaptability of livestreaming windows and the accuracy of sign language content recognition to create a more user-friendly interface for DHH users.
2. Promote the development of training datasets and real-time translation technology based on regional natural sign languages.
3. Provide DHH identity verification without mandating the display of disability certificates to reduce discriminatory language and behavior.
4. Avoid traffic restrictions on DHH livestreams in algorithm design and continuously monitor potential bias issues.