Abstract Details

<< Back to Schedule

10/09/2015  |   3:00 PM - 4:15 PM   |  SAC Auditorium

It is our Technology: How Deaf and Hard of Hearing Communities Can Take Control

Technology has been progressing at a rapid pace, and its potential for improving function, employment, and community participation for people who are deaf or hard of hearing is greater than ever. However, stakeholder involvement in the development of new technologies is still lacking. This has led to frequent mismatches between the needs of people who are deaf or hard of hearing, and the available technology offerings in addressing these needs. All to often, product decisions are made without sufficient participation by the stakeholder community. In a similar vein, people still have to rely on telling health care providers and clinical practitioners to adjust their devices by trial and error, rather than being able to take matters in their own hands. To realize the full potential of what technology has to offer to people who are deaf or hard of hearing, it is critical that stakeholders directly work on product research and development, and that they become more autonomous in their use of technology. We cover several projects currently underway at Gallaudet University and collaborating institutions that embody the above principle. We discuss concrete examples of how these projects allow the community to take control and to meet its needs. First, the Video Access Technology Platform Reference Platform is all about giving the community control over their telecommunications – be it video, voice, or text –, and to let it have the final say in how features are implemented. Second, the Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Technology for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing spans a range of projects that are all about giving the community control over their hearing technologies, take technology training into their own hands, increase autonomy, and realize the full potential of the next generation of consumer electronics in conjunction with hearing and assistive technology.

• Understand why it is critical for the deaf/hh communities to own their technology
• Understand recent developments in empowering the deaf/hh communities to take control of their technology
• Understand how the communities can become involved in technology development

Presentation:
This presentation has not yet been uploaded.

Handouts:
No handouts have been uploaded.

Christian Vogler (POC,Primary Presenter), Higher Education, christian.vogler@gallaudet.edu;
Dr. Christian Vogler is the director of the Technology Access Program at Gallaudet University, and a principal investigator within the Rehabilitation Engineering Research Centers (RERC) on Telecommunications Access, and the RERC on Technology for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. He also subcontracts on the FCC-funded Video Access technology Platform Reference project. He is involved in bringing consumers and industry together on accessibility, as well as researching technologies, including everyday telecommunications, next-generation hearing technologies, emergency calling, and telecollaboration. Dr. Vogler has been working closely with consumer advocacy groups on a range of technology and telecommunications access. He passionately believes that deaf and hard of hearing people have only scratched the surface of what is possible with modern communication technologies, and that the most exciting technological developments are still to come.