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 false mental model has formed around “AI sign language translation.” Many people now believe that public systems (such as station screens) provide real-time sign language translation. But this belief does not match how most of these systems actually work. This false mental model has formed because: The word “real-time” is used The label “AI” is applied Signed output appears instantly and looks like language An infographic contrasting the false belief that AI provides live

A Deaf and Sign Language-Led authority is needed in sign language AI — now. As AI systems involving sign language become more visible, progress alone is no longer enough. What is increasingly missing from the conversation is linguistic authority . Sign languages are not motion systems. They are full languages , dependent on: manual dexterity spatial grammar context culture lived Deaf expertise Without Deaf-led authority, AI risks producing outputs that are technically impr

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

As a Deaf BSL user who wears a bodycam, I’ve thought a lot about how technology could better capture sign language communication for accessibility and evidence. Here’s a quick breakdown of three options: 1. Bodycam 🎥 Pros: Worn on your body, capturing what you see. Simple and portable. Cons: Misses “middle zone” — your hands and signing are often out of frame. Limited to one fixed perspective. Audio-focused; not designed for sign language. 2. Drone 🛸 Pros: Flexible, can h