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.

Someone in Australia passed me an article today, and it struck a deep chord. Even now, in 2025, Deaf people are still being told their own language is a problem to be solved. Here in the UK, we do not use language like “deaf and dumb,” “deaf-mute,” or “hearing impairment.” These terms are outdated, offensive, and rooted in a long history of discrimination. Deaf people are not defective. We are not incomplete. We are a linguistic and cultural community with a recognised lang

Over the last three years, AI and sign-language research has grown very fast. Many people think AI can “translate sign language,” but the real picture is more complex. We in the Deaf community have been discussing these issues, and many of us share the same concerns about how AI handles our sign languages. Here are the key points from the latest research: AI is getting better at creating signing videos with facial expression, body movement, and timing. New datasets (including

Here is a comprehensive list of important publications from 2023 to 2025. These works show progress, challenges, ethical concerns, and why Deaf-led guidance is essential. We in the Deaf community have been discussing these developments, and many people in the wider audience share the same concerns about how AI treats sign languages. 07/2025 — “Sign Language in the Era of Artificial Intelligence” Deaf-led policy + ethics https://eud.eu/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Sign-Langua

Image Description (Alt-text): A black-and-white linocut-style illustration shows a Deaf woman signing toward a simplified figure representing AI. The woman forms the “I-love-you / communication” handshape while her other hand rests open in front of her. She is drawn with realistic detail and a calm, focused expression. Opposite her, the AI figure is abstract and faceless, with a round head, glowing lines like rays around it, and the large letters “AI” printed on its chest. Th

There’s a growing push to use AI sign-language avatars in transport systems. But there’s a serious problem with how they’re being advertised: ❌ AI sign-language is NOT real-time ❌ It does NOT interpret live tannoy announcements ❌ It does NOT support urgent, live communication ❌ It is NOT equal access So why use the phrase “real-time translation” when it isn’t live? We need to question this — clearly and loudly. Image Description (Alt-text): A Deaf person stands alone among fa

Understanding Sign Language Technology AI and machine learning already power two main pathways: 1️⃣ Sign Language Recognition – translating signs into text or speech. 2️⃣ Sign Language Generation – producing signs or animations from text or speech. But there’s a third direction emerging — and it could change everything. The Future of Sign Language Interaction 🤖 Sign ↔ Gloss ↔ Sign Imagine this: A Deaf user walks up to a McDonald’s kiosk or activates Siri. They sign “COF

Recently, I’ve seen growing interest in tools like Sign-Speak and SignGemma — both exploring how AI can better understand sign language, not just display it. 🧠 Sign-Speak focuses on real-time sign-to-text and sign-to-voice translation, giving Deaf users and interpreters more direct ways to communicate.🤖 SignGemma , from Google DeepMind, explores sign language recognition using large-scale AI models. Out there, we already see many providers creating audio-to-text , tex

We are Deaf sports fans who pay full subscription prices for @DiscoveryPlusUK , @TNTSports , and @AmazonUK — yet for over a year, live football and rugby have been broadcast without subtitles or audio description. 📅 Saturday 1st November 2025 – live rugby and football on TNT Sports (via Discovery+ / Amazon Prime Video) 📅 Saturday 8th November 2025 – Spurs v Manchester United on TNT Sports 1 👉 Both broadcasts had no subtitles and no audio description .🎥 I’ve