Making Tech Events Accessible for the Deaf Community

[sasha_feather]

More from Model View Culture: Q and A: Making Tech Events Accessible to the Deaf Community

Comments

[davidgillon]

Pretty good piece, though it missed the potential for intersectionality of deafness and mobility impairments that caused issues at LonCon.

[jesse_the_k]

Remind us what that issue was, since folks may arrive by tag in a year...

[davidgillon]

Good point!

The LonCon issues (addressed at greater length in my con report ) included making provision for deaf people with reserved seating at the front of panels, and making provision for wheelchair users with space set aside for them, but not making any provision for deaf wheelchair users because a lot of the reserved wheelchair spaces were at the back, and none were at the front, making it impossible for deaf wheelchair users to lipread, while at the main event the presenters were right off to the side of the large stage, while the seating reserved for people with access needs was right off to the _other_ side of the stage, with wheelchair spaces on the far side of that.

[jesse_the_k]

One point made in this excellent interview is how CART/sign language users often find their access needs dismissed as "too expensive." I believe it's important for disabled people to band together in solidarity on this issue.

As a wheelchair user many of my needs are built in to the environment, one and done. While events must also design the venue's use -- panel and mealtime parking spaces, adequate travel aisles, appropriate height display and signage etc -- to mesh with those of us rolling at 4'4" or so, we can recognize we've got some privilege in this regard.

When I advocate for accessible events, I make a point of mentioning at least two access needs unrelated to my own. I wish I didn't have to do it, but in this world today it's worth doing. I've also found that it's less emotional work to address needs that are not so close to me. For example: "Refusing to provide visual access to language is like locking the door to the elevator. I know you wouldn't do that to me, and I want you to show the same hospitality to other members who're Deaf, hearing impaired, or otherwise rely on visual language."

Wondering about that last phrase? There are some of us with acute hearing, who have a hard time understanding in noise. Watching the WisCon members watching the CART screen for the GoH speeches over the years, I've noticed more and more people relying on that information. Some of those people don't identify as "hearing impaired," but the CART is not a furbelow for them.

[davidgillon]

That's a really good point. I realised when I was reading the article that I probably don't think enough about accessibility for the deaf community.