Epistemic Barrier

A barrier to collaboration or understanding that arises from fundamental differences in knowledge systems, expertise, values, and ways of knowing between groups. In the context of sign language AI development, epistemic barriers exist between machine learning practitioners (who hold technical expertise but often lack sign language knowledge and Deaf cultural understanding) and Deaf community members (who hold linguistic and cultural expertise but may have limited exposure to AI concepts). These barriers go beyond simple knowledge gaps — they involve different frameworks for understanding problems, different criteria for evaluating solutions, and different assumptions about what matters. Addressing epistemic barriers requires more than information sharing; it requires genuine mutual learning, respect for different forms of expertise, and structures that value community knowledge alongside technical knowledge.