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arXiv · 2408.13171

Lessons in co-creation: the inconvenient truths of inclusive sign language technology development

Maartje De Meulder·Davy Van Landuyt·Rehana Omardeen
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Abstract

In the era of AI-driven language technologies, the participation of deaf communities in sign language technology development, often framed as co-creation, is increasingly emphasized. We present a reflexive case study of two Horizon 2020 projects on sign language machine translation (2021- 2023), conducted with a EUD, a European-level deaf-led NGO. Using participant observation, internal documentation, and collaborative analysis among the authors, we interrogate co-creation as both a practice and a discourse. We offer five lessons for making co-creation consequential: 1) recognise and resource deaf partners invisible labor, 2) manage expectations via accessible science communication, 3) crip co-creation by dismantling structural ableism, 4) diversify participatory methods to address co-creation fatigue and intersectionality, and 5) redistribute power through deaf leadership. We contribute an empirically grounded account of how co-creation plays out in multi-partner AI projects, and actionable implications for design that extend to participatory AI with minoritized language and disability communities.

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Maartje De Meulder, Davy Van Landuyt, Rehana Omardeen. 2024-08-23. Lessons in co-creation: the inconvenient truths of inclusive sign language technology development. https://arxiv.org/abs/2408.13171

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