Tim Scannell, Accessibility Consultant:

Enhancing Access for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing by Focusing on Sign Language, Digital Accessibility, and Information Access for Everyone.

A welcome step from WFD This morning, I welcomed the WFD (World Federation of the Deaf) LinkedIn post about its Ad Hoc Group on Artificial Intelligence . I praise WFD for recognising that AI must be approached through human rights, accessibility, inclusion, and sign language perspectives . That is an important step forward. I hope this leads to trusted global leadership and real protection for Deaf communities as AI continues to develop at speed. Looking for country-level act

After my recent blog, I have been contacted by people beyond the UK asking what lessons should now be learned from AI and sign language. That matters. It tells me this is no longer just a British conversation. People in other countries are watching closely, asking what has happened so far, what has improved, what has not, and whether Deaf communities are truly helping shape these technologies or are still being asked to accept decisions made elsewhere. For me, that leads to t

AI with sign language is moving fast. Accountability is not. Too many claims are appearing in very high numbers. Too many organisations are still avoiding a clear public position. And too often, the discussion seems more focused on protecting AI than protecting people. That is why my question remains simple: Who gave approval for AI with sign language? Alt text: Bold campaign graphic on a dark background. Large white and yellow text says, “AI with sign language is moving fast

Deaf people spent centuries building language, education, careers, and equal communication. AI companies should not be allowed to reduce that to a one-way system and call it progress. This is the question I keep returning to: who gave AI sign language approval? That question matters because AI sign language is not just a technical experiment. It touches language, identity, culture, education, employment, and human dignity. It affects Deaf children and adults whose lives have

Artificial intelligence is developing fast, but live interpreting shows exactly where its limits still are. For prepared speeches, AI-generated sign language can look impressive. It performs best when the language is structured, the content is predictable, and the system operates on clean input. But conferences are rarely that simple. Live panels are unpredictable. Speakers interrupt each other. They react in the moment. They change direction. They overlap. They leave thought

Six days ago, my post reached 28,000 expressions — thank you. I am now sharing it on my Wix blog. The post said: Spotted at Crufts. A useful reminder that software only outputs what it is given.The printing company probably printed exactly what was in the file. In the same way, AI and other software tools can reproduce errors perfectly unless a human stops and checks. One missing letter. Completely different meaning. Proofreading still matters. Alt text: A photo of a large e

Between 1999 and 2003 , when I was at university, one of my subjects was Human–Computer Interaction (HCI) . At that time, many people were still avoiding the Internet. Today, smartphones and smart devices give almost everyone access to apps and platforms across the Internet — the shift has been significant. We are now experiencing a similar moment with AI and sign language . There is increasing experimentation with signing via Meta platforms, AI-assisted accessibility tools,

On Sunday , 16 February , I published a blog post on “blurring the handshape.” The central point was simple: When the handshape is blurred, the meaning is blurred. This is not a minor technical issue. It is: a language integrity issue, an accessibility issue, and a Deaf rights issue. AI-generated signing is increasingly being presented as “accessibility.” However, sign language access is not merely visual output on a screen. Sign language access is a conversation. It dep

AI-generated sign-language interpretation is now appearing in public events. Accessibility is crucial, but so are clarity, linguistic accuracy, and accountability. YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30TgqnxeRlk Observations on AI Signing From what I observed in the PIP window, the signing still looks stiff and choppy. The transitions feel unnatural. The clarity and linguistic accuracy need significant refinement. Without proper validation by Deaf communities and qualifi