Wearable Technology

Electronic devices designed to be worn on the body, such as smartwatches, fitness trackers, smart glasses, and haptic wristbands. In accessibility contexts, wearable technology offers unique advantages for delivering notifications and information through multiple sensory channels — vibration, visual displays, and audio — without requiring users to hold or look at a phone. For Deaf and hard of hearing users, smartwatches are particularly valued because they provide obstruction-free microphones (compared to phones in pockets), instant vibrational feedback for attention, and a glanceable display. Wearables can serve as platforms for sound recognition, navigation assistance, real-time captioning display, and other assistive applications.