Preliminary Program

Vienna · 26–27 May 2026

This is our preliminary program, which is subject to change. If there are any updates, the program will be revised accordingly. Please check back soon for the latest version.

Day 1
Tuesday, 26 May
09:00 – 10:00
Reception
10:00 – 10:45
Opening by Organizing Committee
11:00 – 12:30
Paper Session 1
XR, haptics & embodied access
  • Embodied Learning for Deaf Signers: Exploring the Potential of XR and Haptic Technologies
    Abraham Glasser, Lorna Quandt, Lloyd May, Shela Atemnkeng, Joseph Palagano, Laurel Aichler — Gallaudet University
  • XR for Whom? A Critical Review of Extended Reality Research on Deaf and Hard of Hearing Users
    Shuxu Huffman, Michaela Okosi, Joe Merino, Paige DeVries, Tifanie Bouchara, Christian Vogler, Abraham Glasser, Raja Kushalnagar — Gallaudet University & Université Paris-Saclay
  • Accessibility as Prerequisite: Designing a Haptic Art Exhibition Through Deaf and DeafBlind Collaboration
    Oliver Jayden Suchanek, Lydia Kremslehner, Katta Spiel — TU Wien
12:30 – 13:00
Poster Pitches
13:00 – 14:00
Lunch break
Explore local cafés and restaurants around campus · Poster viewing
14:00 – 15:30
Paper Session 2
Captions, speech technology & AI avatars
  • A Large-Scale Survey of User Ratings of Live TV Captions and ASR-Generated Captions, Compared against Metrics
    Christian Vogler, Bernard Thompson, Luz Calderon Torres, Lu Ming, James Waller, Mariana Arroyo Chavez, Dante Conway, Raja Kushalnagar — Gallaudet University
  • Sign Language Avatar on Stage: Deaf-Led Motion Capture Innovation
    Mindy Drapsa (Riksteatern Crea), Henrik Garde (Lund University), Joel Kankkonen (Teckenbro)
  • Toward the Development of Deaf-Centric Text-to-Speech Technology via Participatory Design
    Christian Vogler, Shela Atemnkeng, Paige DeVries, Patrick Boudreault — Gallaudet University
15:30 – 16:00
Coffee & tea break
Poster viewing
16:00 – 17:00
Paper Session 3
AI avatars & sign language data
  • A Deaf-Centered Approach to International Sign Accessibility Using AI-Generated Avatars
    Patrick Boudreault (Gallaudet University), Florian Méloux (spokhand), Dawnena Key (dozanü innovations)
  • A SignWriting-Annotated Corpus of Italian Sign Language (LIS) for AI-Based Analysis
    Alessio di Renzo, Tommaso Lucioli, Luca Lamano, Gabriele Gianfreda, Barbara Pennacchi, Chiara Bonsignori, Eloisa Matina, Olga Capirci — National Research Council (CNR) / Institute for Cognitive Sciences and Technologies (ISTC)
17:00 – 17:30
Closing of the day
17:30 – 18:30
Break
Poster viewing
19:00 – open end
WITAF
Vienna Deaf Club
Day 2
Wednesday, 27 May
09:00 – 09:30
Reception
09:30 – 11:00
Paper Session 4
Education, literacy & AI in teaching
  • Deaf-Led, Technology-Supported Early Literacy: Preliminary Findings from Project TREE Across Fiji, Papua New Guinea, and the Philippines
    Christopher Kurz (RIT), Michael Vea (College of St. Benilde), Krishneer Sen (Deaf Pacific Consultancy), Noah Agino (New Papua New Guinea Deaf Association)
  • Developing Digital Support Lines in Sign Language
    Mia Modig and Ellinor Persson — Nationell kvinnojour och stöd på teckenspråk
  • Teaching the Teachers: A Self-Study of AI Integration in Deaf Education Teacher Training
    Christopher Kurz, Suryo Sahetapy, Ruth C. Reyes — Rochester Institute of Technology
11:00 – 11:30
Coffee & tea break
Poster viewing
11:30 – 12:30
Paper Session 5
Policy, ethics & activism
  • Mapping Canada's Federal AI Ethics Landscape Through a Deaf Lens: A Pilot Policy Study
    Ellie Bernard-Tran — Dalhousie University
  • Feminist Activism on Social Media
    Vanessa Schuegerl — Heriot-Watt University
12:30 – 13:30
Lunch break
Explore local cafés and restaurants around campus · Poster viewing
13:30 – 14:30
Paper Session 6
Social media & deaf communities
  • Deaf Economic Empowerment Through Social Media: A Quantitative Analysis of Language Confidence and Content Sharing
    Arlinda Boland — Sam Houston State University
  • Social Media and Social Capital Among Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Secondary School Students in Flanders
    Ayfer Iceloglu — Free University of Brussels
14:30 – 15:00
Break
Poster viewing
15:00 – 16:00
Workshops (parallel)
Workshops
  • Virtual Learning in Deaf Education: Lessons Learned from Online Delivery
    Patrick J. Graham, Jeff Bravin, Chris Kurz, TJ Sanger II — National Technical Institute for the Deaf and American School for the Deaf
  • Deaf People's Contributions to a Just and Sustainable Future
    Maija Koivisto — Helsinki University
  • Taking Responsibility: The Role of National Deaf Associations in Technological Development – and What Deaf Tech Professionals Can Contribute
    Ralph Raule — Deutscher Gehörlosen-Bund
  • Feeling and experiencing access: exploring the affective side of technology-mediated access (in communicative context)
    Ine Martens (Heriot-Watt University), Vanessa Schuegerl (Heriot-Watt University), Ulla Sivunen (University of Jyväskylä)
16:00 – 19:00
Break
19:00 – 22:00
Closing Ceremony
Keynote — Dr. Abraham Glasser · Awards · Appetizers

Accepted Work

Papers, workshops, posters, and demos (titles and author order subject to change)

Papers

Vanessa Vanessa Schuegerl (Heriot-Watt University)

Feminist activism on social media

Ellie Bernard-Tran (Dalhousie University)

Mapping Canada’s Federal AI Ethics Landscape Through a Deaf Lens: A Pilot Policy Study

Mia Modig and Ellinor Persson (Nationell kvinnojour och stöd på teckenspråk)

Developing Digital Support Lines in Sign Language

Mindy Drapsa (Riksteatern Crea), Henrik Garde (Lund University) and Joel Kankkonen (Teckenbro)

Sign Language Avatar on Stage: Deaf-Led Motion Capture Innovation

Shuxu Huffman, Michaela Okosi, Joe Merino, Paige DeVries, Tifanie Bouchara, Christian Vogler, Abraham Glasser, Raja Kushalnagar (Gallaudet University and Université Paris-Saclay)

XR for Whom? A Critical Review of Extended Reality Research on Deaf and Hard of Hearing Users

Christian Vogler, Shela Atemnkeng, Paige DeVries, and Patrick Boudreault (Gallaudet University)

Toward the Development of Deaf-Centric Text-to-Speech Technology via Participatory Design

Abraham Glasser, Lorna Quandt, Lloyd May, Shela Atemnkeng, Joseph Palagano, Laurel Aichler (Gallaudet University)

Embodied Learning for Deaf Signers: Exploring the Potential of XR and Haptic Technologies

Christian Vogler, Bernard Thompson, Luz Calderon Torres, Lu Ming, James Waller, Mariana Arroyo Chavez, Dante Conway, Raja Kushalnagar
 (Gallaudet University)

A Large-Scale Survey of User Ratings of Live TV Captions and ASR-Generated Captions, Compared against Metrics

Alessio di Renzo, Tommaso Lucioli, Luca Lamano, Gabriele Gianfreda, Barbara Pennacchi, Chiara Bonsignori, Eloisa Matina, Olga Capirci (National Research Council CNR, Institute for Cognitive Sciences and Technologies ISTC)

A SignWriting-Annotated Corpus of Italian Sign Language (LIS) for AI-Based Analysis

Patrick Boudreault (Gallaudet University), Florian Méloux (spokhand), Dawnena Key (dozanu innovations)

A Deaf-Centered Approach to International Sign Accessibility Using AI-Generated Avatars

Arlinda Boland (Sam Houston State University)

Deaf Economic Empowerment Through Social Media: A Quantitative Analysis of Language Confidence and Content Sharing

Ayfer Iceloglu (Free University of Brussels)

Social media and social capital among deaf and hard-of-hearing secondary school students in Flanders

Oliver Jayden Suchanek, Lydia Kremslehner, and Katta Spiel (TU Wien)

Accessibility as Prerequisite: Designing a Haptic Art Exhibition Through Deaf and DeafBlind Collaboration

Christopher Kurz (Rochester Institute of Technology, RIT), Michael Vea (College of St. Benilde), Krishneer Sen (Deaf Pacific Consultancy), Noah Agino (New Papua Guinea Deaf Association)

Deaf-Led, Technology-Supported Early Literacy: Preliminary Findings from Project TREE Across Fiji, Papua New Guinea, and the Philippines

Christopher Kurz, Suryo Sahetapy, Ruth C. Reyes (Rochester Institute of Technology, RIT)

Teaching the Teachers: A Self-Study of AI Integration in Deaf Education Teacher Training

Workshops

Patrick J. Graham, Jeff Bravin, Chris Kurz, TJ Sanger II (National Technical Institute for the Deaf and American School for the Deaf)

Virtual Learning in Deaf Education: Lessons Learned from Online Delivery

Maija Koivisto (Helsinki University)

Deaf People’s Contributions to a Just and Sustainable Future

Ralph Raule (Deutschen Gehörlosen-Bund)

Taking Responsibility: The Role of National Deaf Associations in Technological Development – and What Deaf Tech Professionals Can Contribute

Ine Martens (Heriot Watt University), Vanessa Schuegerl (Heriot Watt University), and Ulla Sivunen (University of Jyväskylä)

Feeling and experiencing access: exploring the affective side of technology-mediated access (in communicative context)

Posters

Ulla Sivunen (University of Jyväskylä)

Media use and media environments of young DHH people and their experiences of (in)accessibility in Finland

Lisa Lepp, Dimitar Shterionov, Mirella De Sisto (Tilburg University)

CoCos: A Product of Co-Creation. An Interdisciplinary Approach to Sign Language Machine Translation

Steve Emery (University of Surrey)

AI for Sign Language Technologies - bringing together communities

Neil Fox and Adam Schembri (University of Birmingham)

AI and the Risk to BSL Regional Variation

Carsten Schmidt, Eleftherios Avramidis, Alexander Stricker (alangu GmbH)

Deaf-Driven Quality-Optimized Translation Pipeline for German Sign Language

Caroline Yuk

Cochlear impalant experiences at Gallaudet University

Manuel Gnerlich, Uta Meißner (Open Mind Software GmbH)

VisualGPT: A multimodal AI tool for generating visual deaf didactic materials in vocational training

Audrey Cameron, Ixone Saenz Paraiso

Bridging the Gap: A BSL Glossary for Artificial Intelligence 

Demos

Dawnena Key (dozanü)

PIVOT: A Multi-Modal Web Accessibility Widget for Real-Time Sign Language, Audio, and Text Translation