Downey, a Facilitator of Community Services at DeafBlind Ontario Services in Peterborough, communicates using American Sign Language (ASL).
Downey notes that while video communications platforms like Zoom bridge distances, making meetings, gatherings, and events around the world more inclusive, they can also create new challenges for people that communicate using sign language.
“ASL is my first language. In a virtual environment, it is important that I communicate with the translation of an interpreter, rather than through the chat function,” said Downey, through an interpreter.
When it comes to virtual meetings, being able to clearly see the interpreter is essential to communication, says Downey. She points out that smaller Zoom meetings make it easier for other participants, and herself, to see her interpreter.
“While in large online settings, there are many thumbnail displays of people, sometimes a couple pages of them. If a person does not identify themselves, I may not know who is speaking. The same goes for people that talk over one another, making it difficult for the interpreter to translate everyone. This means I may miss important information, which also happens when the meeting freezes or lags, creating a barrier to communication,” she said.
Thursday marks the 11th annual Global Accessibility Awareness Day. This day aims to raise awareness about digital (web, mobile, software, etc.) access and a commitment to inclusion for more than one billion people around the world with diverse abilities.
“Technology has come a long way in bridging the gap and helping Deaf people connect from afar. However, in my opinion, there is more that can be done to make virtual meetings and events more inclusive,” said Downey.
According to Downey, some ways to make virtual meetings more accessible include scheduling frequent breaks.
“The hearing population can look away from the online meeting and still listen to the conversation or presentation. While someone who is Deaf must focus and constantly watch the screen. After long periods of time, this can strain your eyes and be tiring.”
Avoiding screensharing for long periods of time is important, she says, as that takes over the main screen and shrinks the interpreters window.
It is also important to look and speak directly to the person who is deaf, not to the interpreter.
