Improving the User Experience for Sign Language Interpreters in Remote Interpretation for Small Group Settings
Roshan Mathew, Wendy Dannels · 2025 · Proceedings of the 22nd International Web for All Conference (W4A 2025) · doi:10.1145/3744257.3744261
Summary
This study investigates whether increasing a sign language interpreter's visual access to a deaf client's environment through wider field-of-view (FoV) webcams and customizable screen layouts can enhance the user experience of remote small group interpretation. In traditional video remote interpreting (VRI) and video relay service (VRS) platforms, interpreters are typically limited to a narrow view of the deaf client, missing critical contextual cues from the broader meeting environment such as other participants' reactions, visual aids like whiteboards or projector screens, and the spatial dynamics of the room. The researchers developed the Access Services Portal (ASP), a prototype web application that interfaces with plug-and-play videoconferencing webcams to stream enhanced views of a deaf client's meeting session. Twenty experienced VRI/VRS interpreters (mean age 38.8 years, 70% female) evaluated nine different screen layout configurations using four commercially available webcams: a j5create 360-degree camera, OBSBOT Tiny with gesture-based tracking, Tenveo PTZ with manual remote control, and Meeting Owl 3 with AI-based speaker detection. The layouts varied across three parameters: layout configuration (how camera feeds were arranged on screen), field of view (how much of the room was visible), and presenter tracking (the camera's ability to follow the active speaker). Simulated group meetings used mannequins at a conference table with a live moderator delivering scripted content and a PowerPoint presentation.
Key findings
Friedman's tests revealed statistically significant differences in interpreter preferences across all three parameters (p < .001 for each). Layouts clustered into three tiers: High (L8 with OBSBOT Tiny, L7 with Tenveo PTZ), Medium (L1, L4, L9), and Low (L2, L3, L5, L6). L8, featuring the OBSBOT Tiny webcam with automatic gesture-based body tracking, consistently received the highest satisfaction ratings and was selected as most effective by 7 of 20 participants. It was significantly preferred over several lower-ranked layouts for both layout configuration (p = .026) and FoV (p = .002-.005). Interpreters valued three key features: wide panoramic views of the meeting room for contextual awareness, dynamic presenter tracking that automatically follows the active speaker without manual camera control, and composite multi-view layouts showing the deaf client, presenter, and visual aids simultaneously. Notably, layouts L5 and L6 (single view and wide-angle configurations that replicated traditional VRI/VRS platforms's narrow focus on only the primary speaker) were never chosen as most effective by any participant and consistently received the lowest ratings, highlighting the limitations of legacy remote interpreting designs. A majority (65%) reported overall satisfaction with the ASP, and participants found it far superior to current VRI/VRS setups for environmental awareness.
Relevance
This research fills a significant gap by focusing on interpreters' user experience rather than solely on deaf users' perspectives, recognizing that interpreter effectiveness directly impacts deaf individuals' communication access. The findings have direct implications for VRI and VRS platform providers: current platforms' narrow camera views create unnecessary barriers that wider FoV webcams and customizable layouts can address with commercially available hardware. For organizations providing remote interpreting services, the study provides concrete design guidance—composite layouts with panoramic room views, dedicated frames for key participants, and automatic speaker tracking outperform the single-view convention. The work is especially relevant as remote work continues to grow post-pandemic, making VRI increasingly important for deaf employees in workplace meetings where in-person interpreters may not be available. The interpreters' strong preference for layout customization suggests that one-size-fits-all video layouts are insufficient for the complex visual demands of remote interpretation.
Tags: video remote interpreting · sign language interpreting · deaf and hard of hearing · videoconferencing · field of view · webcam technology · workplace accessibility