iSTEP 2015: Cross-Cultural Technology Development Toward Language Access for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing

Abstract

This paper summarizes the work done over the course of nine weeks at the Mathru Center for the Deaf and Differently-Abled (Mathru Center) in Bangalore, India and aims to provide recommendations regarding technology solutions for deaf and hard of hearing students and their teachers in underserved communities. This work was carried out by a team of four undergraduate research students participating in an internship program called iSTEP – short for innovative Student Technology ExPerience (iSTEP) –organized by the TechBridgeWorld research group at Carnegie Mellon University. From the team’s work in designing and developing educational tools with student and teacher participants, this paper explores the practice of creating shared ownership over technological ideas through direct relationship with the target population and viewing them as equals in the process. The team’s partnership and work with the Mathru Center resulted in two newly created educational tools aimed at providing language access for Deaf primary school students and their teachers. The first, SignBook, provides greater sign language access through a sign language dictionary creation tool with abilities for custom video and picture capturing and categorization of entries and words into topics. The second, Speak Up!, motivates students to strive for greater verbal language access through a suite of voice-powered games aimed to familiarize pre- and partially-verbal users with the power of their voice.