"Nothing about us without us": Perspectives of Global Deaf and Hard-of-hearing Community Members on Sign Language Technologies

TL;DR

This study explores global Deaf and Hard-of-hearing community perspectives on sign language technologies, highlighting concerns about cultural preservation, accuracy, and the need for DHH-led development to ensure inclusive and respectful innovation.

Contribution

It provides the first large-scale, multilingual survey capturing diverse community views on SLTs across different countries and cultures, emphasizing the importance of DHH-led design.

Findings

Community recognizes SLTs' potential for access and independence.

Concerns about cultural erasure and inaccurate translation.

Emphasis on DHH-led development to prevent harm.

Abstract

There is accelerating interest in sign language technologies (SLTs), with increasing attention from both industry and academia. However, the perspectives of Deaf and Hard-of-hearing (DHH) individuals remain marginalized in their development, particularly those outside of the West and in the global South. This paper presents findings from a global, multilingual survey capturing community views on SLTs across a wide range of countries, sign languages, and cultural contexts. While participants recognized the potential of SLTs to support access and independence, many expressed concerns about cultural erasure, inaccurate translation, and hearing-dominated research pipelines. Perceptions of SLTs were shaped by factors including sign language proficiency, policy exposure, and deaf identity. Across regions, participants emphasized the importance of DHH-led design, citing the risk of harm when DHH communities are excluded from technological decision-making. This study offers a novel cross-continental, community-informed analysis of SLTs and concludes with actionable recommendations for researchers, technologists, and policymakers.