Introduction
The Deaf and Hard of Hearing Accessible Technology: State of the Science Conference brought together researchers, advocates, technologists, and community members in a hybrid format at Gallaudet University and online. The goal of the conference was to share knowledge, identify ongoing challenges, and envision the future of accessibility in rapidly evolving technological landscapes.
Day 1 (Tuesday, September 16) focused on the current state of research and development. The day began with welcome remarks and a presentation by Octav and Wu, who discussed how to improve the wireless ecosystem for hearing aids. Four students then shared their own projects on accessibility and assistive technology. Later, Claire and Diana presented on how auditory brain training can hhelp older cochlear implant users improve speech recognition and cognitive outcomes.
In the afternoon, Phillip shared his work on using analytics to better assess how children with hearing loss access speech sounds. This was followed by a keynote from Achintya Bhowmik, who spoke about advances in sensory computing and human–machine interaction. The day ended with presentations by Peggy, who described tools for evaluating sensory aids in everyday environments, and by Linda and Victoria, who introduced the idea of building a Deaf/Hard of Hearing Consumer and Technology Industry Alliance.
Before wrapping up, attendees were invited to write down ideas for future research and accessibility topics. These ideas became the foundation for the discussions on Day 2.
Day 2 (Wednesday, September 17) looked ahead to the future of accessibility and inclusion. The day opened with an in-person keynote by Larry Goldberg, who spoke about innovation and inclusive media design. Afterward, two student projects were presented, followed by talks from Christian and Paige on making voice-activated personal assistants more accessible. Christian also shared updates on caption metrics research.
In the afternoon, two student presentations focused on captioning work, and Matt spoke about caption display and user-interface design. The day concluded with an interactive session, “Where Are We Going From Here?”, where participants used focus groups, Discord discussions, and collaborative Mural boards to brainstorm future directions. Together, they explored how accessibility, advocacy, and innovation can come together to build a more inclusive and sustainable future.
Key Takeaways
This summary highlights the central themes and future directions discussed on Day 2. During afternoon coffee break of Day 1, attendees were asked to write down key topics and ideas they wanted to explore further. These suggestions were collected and used to guide the interactive discussions on Day 2.
On Day 2, attendees joined small focus groups to expand on these ideas. Three in-person groups used whiteboards to brainstorm together, while remote attendees contributed through a shared Mural.co board. This hybrid activity allowed everyone to collaborate on identifying future needs, research priorities, and opportunities to make technology more inclusive for Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and Hearing communities.
Captioning and Communication
Captioning was widely recognized as one of the most critical accessibility tools, yet participants agreed that it must evolve beyond its current limitations. Many called for greater personalization, including options to change font size, color, and emotional tone, as well as support for captions in multiple languages. One participant observed, “In China, we can have two subtitles at the same time. Here in the U.S., it’s usually limited.”
Participants also envisioned future solutions, such as smart glasses that would allow users to adjust caption settings in real-time. Others proposed the use of avatars as a safer and more natural communication method in contexts such as driving, where reading text could be distracting. As one participant noted, “Watching an avatar while driving is going to be much easier than captions.”
Across these conversations, a key tension emerged between individual customization and universal usability. Designing caption systems that are flexible yet standardized will be essential to ensuring accessibility for everyone.
Dissemination of Research
A recurring concern among participants was the gap between accessibility research and community access. While many agencies and organizations receive updates on new studies and technologies, this information often fails to reach the individuals who would benefit from it the most. As one attendee put it, “We communicate with agencies, but the information doesn’t get down to the members.”
This lack of direct dissemination has created what participants described as a “scavenger hunt” for information—forcing users to navigate multiple, disconnected sources to stay informed. To address this issue, participants emphasized the importance of social media outreach, public communication, and direct-to-community channels as ways to make research findings more visible, discoverable, and actionable. Without these efforts, even the most promising innovations risk remaining underutilized or unknown to the people they are designed to serve.
Role of Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence (AI) generated both excitement and caution among participants. Many recognized AI’s potential to transform accessibility, envisioning “Captions 2.0” systems capable of capturing not just words but also tone, intent, and prosody. Others introduced the idea of transperception—a model in which speech, sign, or writing could be automatically transformed into the user’s preferred mode of communication.
Participants also saw opportunities for AI-driven noise reduction tailored to specific environments, which could significantly improve comprehension for users with hearing loss. However, concerns were raised about affordability, discoverability, and data privacy. As one participant reflected, “There’s a lot of negative stigma about AI… but in accessibility spaces, AI could make a huge positive impact.”
The discussions made clear that the promise of AI will only be realized if these systems are designed inclusively, transparently, and ethically, with accessibility built into every stage of development.
Gaming and Apps
Gaming has emerged as a particularly challenging area of accessibility. Participants discussed how Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) gamers often experience social and communication barriers, especially in online environments that rely heavily on voice chat. Many expressed interest in games that integrate video chat or visual alert systems to facilitate inclusive communication.
Accessibility also varies dramatically across devices—between iPhones, Android devices, and different regional markets—creating inconsistent experiences for users worldwide. One participant commented, “It was interesting to see how much the community is not really engaging with each other while gaming.”
The broader question raised was how to ensure that DHH gamers can experience the same immersive, interactive environments as their hearing peers. Participants suggested that collaboration between the gaming industry and the DHH community will be critical in addressing these inequities.
Inclusive Design and Collaboration
Throughout the day, participants emphasized that accessibility must be multimodal, Deaf-led, and collaborative. Multimodal design integrates visual, auditory, tactile, and linguistic modes, allowing users to select the communication method that best fits their needs in the moment. This approach ensures flexibility and recognizes the diversity of communication preferences among DHH individuals.
Participants also emphasized the importance of Deaf leadership in research and product development. As one participant powerfully stated, “Research without Deaf people is invalid.” Including Deaf professionals in the design process validates the cultural and linguistic relevance of accessibility solutions, ensuring they are tailored to meet the needs of the Deaf community.
DeafBlind accessibility was identified as an area that remains severely underfunded and technologically underserved. One attendee shared, “DB individuals don’t have access to technology to enhance their quality of life.” These observations underscore the importance of collaborative innovation, which involves bringing together professionals who are Deaf, Hard of Hearing, DeafBlind, and hearing to co-create technologies that reflect the lived experiences of these communities.
Safety, Policy, and Advocacy
Safety emerged as a deeply urgent and emotional topic. Participants shared examples of “lethal inaccessibility,” such as the lack of accessible carbon monoxide detectors that have resulted in preventable deaths. “At least three deaf couples have died because they weren’t alerted by carbon monoxide detectors,” one participant explained.
Conversations expanded beyond safety devices to call for universal design standards in cars, workplaces, and public infrastructure. Participants also discussed the need for real-time transcription and post-meeting summaries as standard practice to eliminate the so-called “Deaf tax”—the extra effort, time, and cost required for Deaf individuals to access information.
In addition, participants advocated for self-advocacy education, ensuring that DHH students and community members understand their communication rights and available technologies. Collectively, these discussions underscored that accessibility should never be treated as an optional feature—it must be woven into the very foundation of public policy, design, and safety standards.
Mural Boards Themes
The collaborative Mural boards served as an online brainstorming space for remote attendees. They were pre-populated by the conference organizers with key topics and questions that attendees had raised during Day 1. Throughout Day 2, participants used these digital boards to expand on those ideas, posting reflections, solutions, and “How might we…” questions that encouraged creative and forward-looking thinking about the future of accessibility.
A dominant theme was holistic and multimodal accessibility—technologies that integrate visual, auditory, tactile, and linguistic channels to create equitable participation for all. Participants emphasized that accessibility must also be sustainable, affordable, and globally scalable, rather than being restricted to high-resource regions. The “Deaf alien” metaphor reflected this idea, reframing accessibility as cross-environment communication that bridges differences rather than focusing on deficits.
Another central theme was future-proofing accessibility. Participants expressed concern that many emerging technologies, from smart car dashboards to AR/VR systems and AI assistants, continue to exclude DHH users by prioritizing audio input. They called for accessibility to be “baked in” from the start, urging collaboration between developers and accessibility advocates early in the design process.
The boards also highlighted the need to centralize accessibility resources. Participants described their experiences searching for tools as “a scavenger hunt” and proposed developing a unified, map-like resource hub for accessible technologies.
Collaboration and leadership remained recurring ideas. Attendees called for Deaf-led advisory groups, inclusive think tanks, and partnerships between Deaf, hearing, and DeafBlind professionals to co-design solutions. Finally, themes of safety, surveillance, and equity resurfaced, with discussions about how to prevent data misuse, standardize transcription tools, and enforce compliance with accessibility standards, such as WCAG, across various industries.
Collectively, the Mural boards reflected both the community’s creativity and its vision for the future, emphasizing that accessibility must evolve in tandem with technology, ethics, and social inclusion.
Recommendations and Next Steps
Several clear recommendations emerged from the conference discussions:
- Centralize Resources → Develop a comprehensive, public database of accessible technologies that can be easily updated and shared.
- Enhance Dissemination → Utilize social media, advocacy networks, and targeted community outreach to ensure that research findings reach the individuals who need them most.
- Engage Policymakers → Embed universal design principles into technology standards, safety regulations, and funding mechanisms.
- Prioritize Deaf-Led Innovation → Create structures that ensure Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and DeafBlind individuals lead the design and evaluation of new accessibility tools.
These steps will not only expand access but also help ensure that accessibility remains a living, evolving process—responsive to new challenges and opportunities.
Conclusion
Day 2 of the State of the Science Conference demonstrated that the future of accessibility is both technological and cultural. Participants called for the redesign of captioning systems, stronger dissemination of research, the ethical application of AI, and the creation of more inclusive experiences in gaming and mobile platforms.
Equally important, the discussions underscored the value of Deaf-led leadership, cross-disciplinary collaboration, and universal design as cornerstones of future innovation. The Mural boards further illustrated the community’s creativity and forward thinking, capturing ideas about sustainability, multimodality, and equity.
Together, these insights affirm that accessibility must be embedded—not added on-and that progress will depend on continued collaboration, advocacy, and shared commitment across generations.