Co-design Inclusive and Empathetic Videoconferencing Experience with People Who Stutter

Challenges with videoconferencing

In this post-pandemic era, videoconferencing has become a prominent medium of communication in both our professional and personal lives. This shift, while bringing many conveniences, also introduces a set of challenges such as reduced non-verbal cues, turn-taking confusion, distractions, and heightened self-consciousness which can lead to “Zoom Fatigue”, affecting all users to varying degrees.

However, it’s crucial to recognize that these challenges do not impact everyone equally. Individuals with invisible disabilities, particularly those who stutter, face additional hurdles as they are not able to utilize lots of non-verbal communication they rely on in in-person settings. Besides, the design of current videoconferencing technologies, often built on assumptions about fluent speech patterns, fails to accommodate the unique needs of people who stutter, further marginalizing this community. For instance, recent research on automatic speech recognition powered voice interfaces and digital assistants also found these systems perform poorly for people who stutter, resulting in functional inaccessibility and emotional harm to them.

Tap into stuttering community’s expertise in inclusive communications

Navigating the complexities of videoconferencing, people who stutter have crafted their own strategies to find their voice in the virtual meetings. At AImpower, we recognize these individuals not just as users, but as the true experts of an inclusive videoconferencing experience. Embarking on a transformative journey, we’re flipping the narrative by involving people who stutter in the design process, utilizing their knowledge and experience, and empowering them to be the “designers” of inclusive videoconferencing technologies.

What we did: re-envisioning videoconferencing with people who stutter

We conducted a two-stage co-design research to with people who stutter to create more inclusive and empathetic videoconferencing technology. In Phase 1, we conducted a series of individual co-design sessions with people who stutter to explore and establish the potential design space for inclusive videoconferencing experience from the participants’ individual perspectives. In Phase 2, we conducted two group co-design sessions with two or three participants in each, with the aim to to delve deeper into the design space outlined in Phase 1, understanding how different areas of the design space should be prioritized and implemented with current socio-technical constraints.

Our research has identified a comprehensive design space for creating more inclusive videoconferencing tools, from the unique perspectives of people who stutter. These tools are designed to address challenges before, during, and after videoconferences, creating an inclusive and empowering experience for people who stutter, while also enhancing the experience for other attendees. From facilitating introductions for shared vulnerability, supporting diversity disclosure, displaying empowering messages, and utilizing machine learning to facilitate speaking difficult words to providing platforms for personal growth and community support, our findings aim to transform the videoconferencing experience into one that celebrates diversity and fosters genuine connections. We submitted a research paper for this co-design work to a Top-tier human-computer interaction conference and are excited to share the full paper draft soon.

Going forward: support us to build a more inclusive meeting environment for all

This co-design process empowers people who stutter to be co-designers, who contribute concrete design ideas aimed at enhancing the softer, more relational aspects of videoconferencing, suggesting that videoconferencing can transcend its traditional role from facilitating information exchange to fostering deeper human connection. For example, participants Eric (pseudonym) highlighted the unexpected benefits of being open about stuttering in the self-introduction and suggested that videoconferencing technology would prompt sharing personal vulnerabilities via ice-breaker activities for all attendees.

“Stuttering can also enhance personal relationships, and in some cases, professional ones too. Because especially being open about stuttering shows openness […], and shows your vulnerabilities. And it allows people often to feel more calm, more comfortable sharing that their own vulnerabilities. And so I think it can make deeper connections more quickly.”

Eric – software engineer, community organizer, stutterer

However, realizing this vision requires more than just innovative ideas; it demands a collective effort. Your support will fuel further research, development, and implementation of inclusive videoconferencing technologies that empower not just people who stutter but everyone who seeks a more connected and inclusive digital world. We are currently developing a meeting companion that provides emotional and relational support during videoconferencing and hopefully will launch soon!