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 These terms are outdated, offensive, and rooted in a long history of discrimination.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

This month, a major tech company launched a new ‘AI mode’ for search in the UK. It gives you fast answers in a friendly, chat-like way — less scrolling, fewer links. But here’s a question: Why not use search AI to learn sign language glosses? BSL, ASL, LSF, ISL, and more - over 70 million Deaf people use sign languages as their first language. This could help hearing people learn to communicate. It could help Deaf people study glosses, grammar, and comparisons across language

I recently watched a powerful video by the CODA brothers signing in ASL. I can’t share the video directly, but it left me thinking deeply about how AI interacts with sign languages. Here's the reality: AI is not ready for ASL. Facial expressions and body language are crucial in ASL - they’re not just "extra," they carry grammar and emotion . Even your nose , eyebrows, eye gaze, mouth shapes, and shoulder movement add layers of meaning, just like an actor's expression in a mo

We encourage mobile companies in the UK, Europe, and beyond to take a look at what T-Mobile USA is doing to support the Deaf and...