Interview with Kim Auclair

QUESTION 01 Can you tell us a bit about yourself, and how your disability might impact your experience, as someone who attends live in-person and virtual events?

I am deaf and I’ve been hearing with a cochlear implant since September 17, 2019. I have a single cochlear implant in my right ear. Before that, I had a hearing aid in that ear. My left ear can’t hear. I was born into a hearing family. I don’t speak sign language.

The main challenges for deaf and hard of hearing people are all related to communication. Some people do a lot of lip reading and it’s really difficult it is to hear everything that is being said. Some people also have a knack for quickly guessing what is being said based on context. The lack of subtitles (not always accurate) or interpreters in most online conferences is also a problem I deal with regularly.

For in-person events, my challenge is to capture everything that is said. I still do a lot of lip reading. If I can’t see a speaker’s lips because I’m in the back, that doesn’t help me. Especially if he has no visual support to give an idea of what he is saying. The fact that there can also be a lot of noise in a room requires me to concentrate more. I tend to sit with people I know instead of choosing a seat that would allow me to better understand the speaker. Often, too, I will rely on the conference event hashtags, as it allows me to grasp the essence of what was said, and fill in what I did not understand.

In virtual events such as when using Zoom, what is not obvious is the lighting of people. I can’t see their lips. Multi-person events on Zoom are also difficult to follow. It takes a lot of concentration to really understand what is being said. Until now the subtitle functions offered by Zoom and Team are not yet ready. It’s a shame, because I think it would help me a lot.

QUESTION 02 Thinking back on some of your experiences attending in-person or virtual events, what are some of the worst things speakers, trainers, and other communication experts can do to ruin your experience as an attendee?

During in-person events, I find it difficult to follow a speaker who moves around a lot and has no visual support. Again, it’s very difficult for me to understand what’s being said. During online events, what’s difficult is when multiple people are talking at the same time, and I can’t see people’s mouths because there isn’t good lighting. I also need to have a visual cue before and after to better understand the discussions by spotting certain key words. It helps me focus and concentrate.

QUESTION 03 Can you share some of the great things speakers, trainers, and other communication experts sometimes do that make a positive impact on your ability to fully enjoy your in-person or virtual event experiences?

Visual aids help a lot during in-person events. I attended a conference where there were subtitles on the screen. It was much appreciated. It allowed me to dedicate less effort on the act of listening and facilitate the understanding of the words being spoken. I like using FM systems too (hearing loops) because it allows you to hear only what the speaker is saying without being distracted by the noises around me.

During online events, I love when there’s an actual human producing live captioning. The results are so much better. I once attended a zoom conference where there was a sign language interpreter and a professional captioner. It was such a great experience!

QUESTION 04 If you had one piece of advice to give speakers, trainers, and other communication experts, so their content became more inclusive of people who have disabilities, what would it be?

Commit to offering captions and live transcripts. This is by far what is missing the most. It is useful for everyone, whether for online videos or in-person events.

QUESTION 05 Thank you for sharing some of your insights with us today. As we wrap up our conversation, is there anything that you’d like to add, such as another thought, another piece of advice, another perspective, etc.?

Not all deaf people can understand and read sign language. While having sign language interpreters is a great way to support those who are deaf, it cannot be the only accommodation for people who have hearing disabilities. Captions and live transcripts are also incredibly important.