Kontur.Tolka and the Training and Methodological Center of the All-Russian Society of the Deaf conducted a study on the experience of deaf users during online meetings. The research involved employees of the society, sign language teachers, inclusive education specialists, and other experts.
The study highlights that deaf users need to manually control the video layout. Since sign language relies on facial expressions and body positioning, small or cropped video windows lead to information loss. Participants noted that video feeds of interpreters often disappear or are replaced during screen sharing.
Online transcription serves as a key accessibility tool, though its effectiveness drops if text appears with delays or contains errors. For many, the chat function is the primary communication channel, especially when an interpreter or speech-to-text tools are unavailable.
Experts recommend that developers ensure video feeds remain visible during presentations, allow users to pin specific speakers, and ensure that transcription, chat, and video windows do not overlap. Mobile interfaces require specific testing to maintain these capabilities on smaller screens.
The research concludes that there is no universal communication scenario for all deaf users. Individual preferences vary between sign language, transcription, and chat, often changing within a single meeting. Therefore, interfaces must allow users to customize their view and combine these tools.
