Week 14 Activity (Thursday): Colloquium talk at Mudd

This week, Harvey Mudd College hosts a talk by Shruti Mahajan, from Worcester Polytechnic Institute, who is a candidate for a faculty position in the CS department at the college. The talk begins at 4:15 PM on Thursday, but a reception with refreshments will be held outside at 4:00 PM.

There are two colloquium talks this week, so we have slightly different rules for this week for students enrolled in CS Colloquium (CS 195).

• We would be hugely pleased to have you attend both talks. These talks don't only let us see a faculty candidate, they also let the faculty candidate see us, so having a good audience is important. But if you can only manage to see a single talk this week, that is okay too.
• If you are in Section 1, we know you're free to attend this talk, but if you'd like to attend the other talk on Tuesday, feel free to do so, either as well or instead.
• If you are in Section 2, and you cannot attend Tuesday's talk, you can watch the recording of either talk.

Developing Sign Language First Technology to Improve Information Accessibility

Abstract

In the United States, American Sign Language (ASL) is the primary language of many deaf adults, and many deaf students receive classroom instruction in ASL while learning English as a second language. However, most interactive computing tools are presented and navigated exclusively in English, even those designed for deaf audiences. Making access to technology contingent upon a sufficient command of a second language creates significant barriers and access delays for deaf individuals.

My research takes a human-centered computing approach to build a foundation that advances understanding of how deaf individuals could work and learn in environments that are designed with their needs and preferences at the forefront. It investigates the feasibility and effectiveness of new SL1 technology, which will provide delivery of signed language (SL) content by allowing deaf signers to navigate and interact with technology completely in their first language (L1). I developed an SL-centric survey tool that enables users to create, distribute, and respond to surveys in SL. In my research, I conducted participatory and user-centric research with deaf participants to iteratively optimize user interface technology.

I present novel interaction design paradigms that create truly accessible technology for deaf SL-signers. This facilitates lifelong learning, enhances access to educational content such as STEM topics, improves career opportunities, and allows SL-based organization of SL corpora, assessments, dictionaries, learning and employment resources. Lastly, I contribute to the advancement of collaborative, human-centered methods and research by working toward creating guidelines for conducting inclusive computing research for and with the ASL community.

About Shruti Mahajan

Shruti Mahajan is a Ph.D. candidate in the Human-Computer Interaction lab, Computer Science department at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), MA. Her research interests are in the field of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI). In her PhD dissertation work, she focused on designing and studying user interfaces in American Signed Languages for the Deaf community. Additionally, she also works with tangible user interfaces that include Augmented Reality and smart fabrics of the future. Her work has been published and recognized at top computing HCI conferences like the Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI) and the Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS) conferences. Across all her research projects, she cares deeply about conducting user-centered and participatory research with careful consideration of how technology impacts society. Besides her research, she actively engages in and initiates mentoring and outreach efforts to promote inclusivity and diversity in the field of computing. Outside work, she enjoys science fiction books/movies, and learning new languages!

When and How to Attend

• Thursday, November 30
  • Location: Galileo McAlister, Harvey Mudd College
  • Optional reception begins at 4:00 PM
  • Talk runs from 4:15–5:30 PM

Recording for Section 2

Required Assessment

To receive credit for attending this colloquium, complete the assessment:

• Assessment

Please do so at your soonest convenience, within 24 hours of seeing the talk.

(When logged in, completion status appears here.)

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