SUMMARY

What do I do if Alexa doesn’t understand my speech? What happens if Google Translate doesn’t support my language? Every person has a unique accent, dialect, and linguistic identity, but in dealing with automated language models, we are often forced to adapt to the greatest common denominator. Can we design services that do not just take into account people’s linguistic differences, but perhaps even adapt to them?

Participants in this workshop will work with industry experts to understand the challenges and barriers that linguistic differences create to delivering accessible and engaging services. In groups, you will discuss your own personal and professional experiences, before working on a set of challenges in a high-impact practical domain such as healthcare. From design to implementation to testing, we will explore how language use impacts every part of the process to design truly accessible, inclusive, and trustworthy products.