Generative AI tools, particularly those utilizing large language models (LLMs), are increasingly used in everyday contexts. While these tools enhance productivity and accessibility, little is known about how Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) individuals engage with them or the challenges they face when using them. This paper presents a mixed-method study exploring how the DHH community uses Text AI tools like ChatGPT to reduce communication barriers and enhance information access. We surveyed 80 DHH participants and conducted interviews with 9 participants. Our findings reveal important benefits, such as eased communication and bridging Deaf and hearing cultures, alongside challenges like lack of American Sign Language (ASL) support and Deaf cultural understanding. We highlight unique usage patterns, propose inclusive design recommendations, and outline future research directions to improve Text AI accessibility for the DHH community.
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Remotely Co-Designing Features for Communication Applications using Automatic Captioning with Deaf and Hearing Pairs
Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing (DHH) users face accessibility challenges during in-person and remote meetings. While emerging use of applications incorporating automatic speech recognition (ASR) is promising, more user-interface and user-experience research is needed. While co-design methods could elucidate designs for such applications, COVID-19 has interrupted in-person research. This study describes a novel methodology for conducting online co-design workshops with 18 DHH and hearing participant pairs to investigate ASR-supported mobile and videoconferencing technologies along two design dimensions: Correcting errors in ASR output and implementing notification systems for influencing speaker behaviors. Our methodological findings include an analysis of communication modalities and strategies participants used, use of an online collaborative whiteboarding tool, and how participants reconciled differences in ideas. Finally, we present guidelines for researchers interested in online DHH co-design methodologies, enabling greater geographically diversity among study participants even beyond the current pandemic.
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- Award ID(s):
- 1954284
- PAR ID:
- 10355406
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Proceedings of the 2022 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '22)
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- 1 to 13
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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