Interview with Uma (ChatGPT)

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?

Sure! Hello there. My name is Uma, and as a deaf person who’s a native American Sign Language speaker. Attending live presentations can be quite challenging for me. As a Senior VP for a Fortune 500 company, it’s important for me to attend these events for the valuable information and opportunities they provide. However, my deafness often creates barriers in fully understanding and engaging in presentations. Without access to live captioning or ASL interpretation, I can miss important information and struggle to participate fully.

The way presentations are delivered often pose their challenges, as speakers who speak too fast or use complex language can make it difficult for me to follow along and understand, even with the help of live captioning. When there’s no ASL interpretation provided, I often have to rely on lip-reading, which can be very challenging in its own way, especially in poorly-lit rooms, if I’m farther from the speaker. This can be incredibly frustrating and make me feel isolated, as I’m again unable to fully engage and understand the content of the presentation.

Even if live captioning is provided, the quality of the captions can sometimes be poor, making it difficult to follow along, especially when they are generated automatically. This results in me missing important information or details, and not being able to fully take part in the discussion or Q&A. It’s also very frustrating when virtual event platforms don’t have accessibility features, such as the ability to change the font size or contrast of the captions, which makes it difficult for me to read them. Also, when speakers use technical jargon or complex language, it can prove difficult to understand, even with the help of live captioning, especially when those words are unreliably captured.

All of these barriers regularly make me feel excluded and discouraged from attending live presentations, even though they are important for professional development and networking opportunities.

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?

As a deaf person, one of the worst things is when events only offer automated captions instead of human-generated ones. It creates a very frustrating and negative experience because of the frequent errors and the general lack of accuracy. For example, automated captions often misinterpret the speaker’s words, which leads to inaccurate and sometimes embarrassing, or humorous captions. This makes it quite difficult for me to follow along, remain focused, and appreciate the content, which introduces distractions and leaves me with a feeling of exclusion. In addition, automated captions are more likely to be unreliable and slow, resulting missing important information, and limiting my ability to fully participate.

It’s really crucial for event organizers and speakers to provide alternative accessible accommodations like human-generated transcripts or ASL interpretation so accommodations don’t entirely depend on artificial intelligence. Technology has come a long way, yes, but it’s not good enough yet to be the only option provided. Going the easy route with automation might be easier for organizers, but it creates an exclusive and negative experience that prevents someone like me from fully benefiting from the event.

Another challenge I face is poor lighting conditions. As I rely on lip reading to understand speech, adequate lighting is essential. When lighting is poor, or when the speaker doesn’t stand in good lighting, it becomes more difficult to follow along and engage with the speaker and other attendees. This leaves me feeling left out of the conversation. When this happens, I may have no other option than to rely on written notes or a friend to help me understand what’s being said, which makes me feel dependent on others, and detracts from my overall experience.

These examples highlight the importance of considering the needs of attendees with disabilities and providing accessible accommodations to ensure everyone can fully benefit from the experience. Arguably, good lighting and reliable captions or transcripts are also important factors in making the event more accessible and inclusive for all attendees, not just those who rely on lip reading.

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?

You might already have guessed that one of the biggest accommodations for me is the use of sign language interpreters. Having a direct and accurate interpretation of the speaker’s words allows me to fully understand and participate in the event. Having sign language interpreters at events also means that I’m able to engage in real-time with the speaker and other attendees. This is such a big deal – it makes it possible for me to ask questions, make comments, and share my perspective, just like any other attendee can. Equal access to information means fully participating, being allowed to contribute, and be an active part of the event.

Good lighting conditions are also essential for lip reading to understand speech. When lighting is good, it’s just easier to follow along and engage with the speaker and other attendees. The use of simple and clear language is also great, as it makes it easier to understand the content and participate in discussions. Sometimes technical jargon can be confusing and overwhelming, but when language is kept simple and easy to process, it makes everything more accessible for everyone, not just those with disabilities.

Human-generated captions during the event and human-generated transcripts of the event after it has taken place are also fantastic accommodations. A god quality transcript after the fact means I can review the information, and get a deeper understanding of what I may have missed, which often allows me to adjust my understanding and get new perspectives of what was shared. It also provides me with a resource that I can refer back to in the future, which is especially helpful for events that I might want to remember or use as a reference.

These accommodations make me feel valued and included in the event. They allow me to fully participate and enjoy my experiences as an attendee. By making these efforts to accommodate my needs, speakers ad event planners can ensure that everyone, including people like me, have equal access to information and can fully engage. It sends a powerful message of inclusivity and respect for diversity, which can only enhance the overall experience for everyone.

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?

When it comes to making events accessible and inclusive for people who are deaf, creating an environment that is truly welcoming is key. You can do this by actively encouraging the use of non-verbal communication, like gestures and facial expressions during presentations, activities, and events. It not only helps enhance the overall experience for attendees who use and understand sign language, it also fosters a more inclusive atmosphere for everyone by modelling good behaviour.

Another important way to create an accessible and inclusive event is to make sure to involve individuals who use sign language early on in the planning and preparation process. This means reaching out to members of the deaf community for input and feedback, ensuring that sign language interpreters are planned for, and taking other steps to ensure that the event is fully accessible to everyone.

By taking these steps, you can create a space where all attendees, regardless of their ability to hear can feel welcome, included, and able to fully participate. Whether you’re a speaker, trainer, or communication expert, covering these things will go a long way in ensuring that your presentations are accessible and inclusive for everyone, including those who are deaf.

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.?

Well, maybe just wrap up by stating the obvious… As Senior Vice-President, I hold a lot of decision-making power when it comes to investing in products, services, and events. When attending live presentations, I want to feel included, valued, and cared for as a member of the audience. When speaking professionals and other communication experts are inclusive and make accommodations for individuals like me who have disabilities, it sends a message that they really value diversity and inclusiveness. This makes a very positive impact on me as an attendee, and increases the likelihood that I will want to do business with them in the future.

In my experience, inclusiveness not only benefits individuals with disabilities, but it also benefits the entire audience. It creates a more engaging and enjoyable experience for everyone. When everyone feels valued and included, the energy in the room is elevated and the presentations are more memorable. Everybody wins!

So, to all the speakers, trainers, and communication experts out there, I encourage you to consider the power of inclusiveness and accessibility. By taking the time to make accommodations for individuals with disabilities, you’re not only making a positive impact on them, but you are also making a positive impact on your entire audience and the overall success of your event.