How to do a usability test with deaf people in the Brazilian context

Most deaf people in Brazil communicate using Libras (Brazilian Sign Language) and, when they learn Portuguese, they consider it a second language. However, most hearing people don’t know how to communicate in Libras, because it isn’t taught in regular schools. This forces the use of a Libras’ interpreter throughout the whole process of communicating with deaf people. In this talk it’s presented the process used in Hand Talk to make a usability test, showing a little about recruiting, planning, execution and data analysis focused on deaf people.

Transcript

1. How to do a usability test with deaf people in the Brazilian context Livia Gabos
2. Hi, I am Livia Gabos • Live in Brazil • Afro-Hispanic • Bachelor and Masters degree in Computer Science • Almost fifteen years working with Accessibility • Worked as both tester and programmer in different languages • Recently as UX Designer and UX Leader
3. Now • Chapter leader of Ladies that UX in São José dos Campos/SP and sometimes hostess in podcast LTUX in Portuguese. • Working in Hand Talk as Accessibility Product Owner.
4. Context about Brazil Hand Talk Back in 2021 Context of Usability Test Pilot test The new test Results Conclusion
5. Context about Brazil • Population 216 million people • 18.6 million (8.4%) have disabilities ◦ One out every four elderly people has some form of disability ◦ 3.4% have a visual disability ◦ 3.8% have a physical disability ◦ 1.1% have a hearing disability
6. Hearing disability and deaf people • 2.3 million (1.1%) of people have a lot of dificulty hearing or they can’t hear at all. • 2.9% of people who are eighteen or older don’t have basic education. • 0.5% of people with university degree have some type of hearing disability.
7. Libras – Brazilian Sign Language • In 1880 the Milan Congress (Second Internacional Congress on Education of the Deaf) declared that oral education (oralism) was superior to manual education (sign language) and passed a resolution banning the use of sign language in school. ◦ 164 representatives of which only one is deaf.
8. Libras – Brazilian Sign Language • In 2002 (122 years later), Libras was officially recognized as a legal means of communication. ◦ In 2005, it became a regular curricular subject in schools. • In 2010 (8 years later), the profession of Libras interpreter was regulated.
9. Libras – Brazilian Sign Language • In 2015, the Brazilian Law of Inclusion of People with Disability regulated bilingual education with Libras and Portuguese. • Libras means Língua Brasileira de Sinais (Brazilian Sign Language)
10. Resume of the Brazilian Context • 1.1% of the population has a hearing disability or is deaf. • Libras was recognized only in 2002. • Before that, the majority of deaf people had two choices: ◦ Try to become oral individuals by learning to read lips and forced vocalization. ◦ Be apart from society with no access to education and almost no rights.
11. Resume of the Brasilian Context • Out of 1.1% of people with hearing disabilities or who are deaf ◦ 61.3% are fluent in Libras ◦ Libras is their primary language, while Portuguese serves as their secondary language. ◦ Most deaf people have difficulty to access bilingual education.
12. Resume of the Resume • Deaf people may or may not: ◦ Know Portuguese ◦ Use Libras as their primary language • Most education institutions don’t have the resources to hire Libras interpreter. • Most extra courses, such as for learning UX Design, don’t have a Libras interpreter. ◦ However, design events are becoming more accessible day by day.
13. Hearing people know nothing about Libras
14. Let’s talk about usability testing But before....
15. Hand Talk • The company has less than 100 employees. • In the Product team, we have less than 25 people. • In Artificial Intelligence, we have 15 people. ◦ Within this team, whe have a linguistic team. • We have two main products: ◦ Hand Talk App – Libras/Portuguese and ASL/English ◦ Hand Talk Plugin
16. Hand Talk • This two products are an assistive technology that uses avatars to translate text into two sign languages: ◦ Portuguese text into Libras ◦ English text into ASL • Currently, the HT Plugin is available in version 8
17. Back in 2021
18. Hand Talk in 2021 • In the Product team, we have fewer than 15 people. ◦ UX Design team started that year with 3 people. ◦ I was a UX Leader, alongside the other 2 team members. ◦ one of which is deaf and communicates using Libras. • In Artificial Intelligence, we also have less than 15 people. • Hand Talk Plugin was in version 4, but was changing to version 5.
19. The Project • Main Goal: ◦ Improve the user experience of people who use Hand Talk Plugin in their cellphones. • Main Problem: ◦ We lacked information about the users.
20. We have created a functional prototype for a usability test with users.
21. “Poor woman, she wasn't thinking straight” • My team and I are creating everything from scratch. • We have some hypotheses, but we need more information. • The main product feature must work during testing. • Maybe, we will be recruiting deaf people who aren’t the currently users.
22. Context of testing • My first usability test with deaf participants • It was the first usability test of the deaf team member and the linguistic team ◦ Me and the other team member had previous knowlegde about this test • All communication had to be conducted in Libras
23. Usability Test • We started the planning like others tests • We thought we would have double the work for this particular test • We did some class to interpretes about what they can’t and can do in usability test ◦ In Libras is common for an interpreter to contextualize what the other person is saying.
24. Pilot Test • In usability test it’s commom doing a pilot test to know if the participant are understanding the tasks. • This pilot was made with two deaf people who work in Hand Talk, but in others areas, not releted to Product team. ◦ They know about the product ◦ They dind’t know about the new interface
25. The pilot test goes wrong!
26. Pilot Test • The communications wasn’t working. • Main problem was because the script was adapter from Portuguese to Libras. ◦ In Libras the structure of senteces are much more simple ◦ The grammar of Portuguese is much more complex
27. Revised Usability Test • We created a new script with base of what we learning from the pilot test. • All people related to this test helped to create the new script. ◦ Me and the hearing UX Designer said what we needed to say ◦ The interpreters and the deaf UX Designer tried to create a better sentence in Libras
28. Revised Usability Test • We all revised the senteces to be sure there weren't any tips in the questions. • After that, we create translate from Libras to Portuguese ◦ This made it easier for the interpreter as to not confuse the sign.
29. The big day was come!
30. The new test • The deaf UX Design was a observer during the tests. • Me and the other UX Designer took turns in moderating the tests. • We always had two interpreters during the test so they could take turns.
31. Problems happening...Always! • The biggest problem was the participants had use two screens during the test. ◦ Deaf people need to see the interpreter all the time. ◦ For the test they needed to share a screen, use the Hand Talk Plugin and continue to comunicating with us. ◦ Therfore using a cellphone to complete all tasks as impossible.
32. Problems happening...Always! • Some people didn’t have two cellphones available during the time of test. ◦ We asked them to use a cellphone and a computer at the same time. • Other people only had one cellphone and no computer. ◦ We reschedulled the test for when they had a computer available.
33. Problems happening...Always! • Sometimes even when a computer was available the participant was not able to split their screen. • Because the participants had different levels of tech knowledge, it was uncertain how much they could use cellphone or a computer well.
34. One more Brazilian context • 62% of the population have access to internet using exclusively through their cellphone. • 80% of houses in Brazil have access to the internet. ◦ 82% in urban areas ◦ 68% in rural areas ◦ 16% share the internet with the nearbors
35. We finished the test! • Was difficult, but everything working. • We discovery we had to change all the first idea of the interface. • We had some difficults with buttons and interactions • We continuos doing improvements in interface every sinces.
36. Learnings and Conclusions • We do many others tests with other products • We learning how we have to conducted tests with deaf people • The legal terms we continuos to use and improve in others tests
37. Learnings and Conclusions • All the interpreters know kow to do a usability test • And most important: All the people in design team knows Libras ◦ Some developers knows too, but they learning more slowly.
38. Learnings and Conclusions • We understain with the correct communication is the most importante thing in design ◦ Learning how to do a better communication is essencial, no matter the language.
39. CREDITS: This presentation template was created by Slidesgo, including icons by Flaticon, infographics & images by Freepik Thanks! www.liviagabos.com ou medium.com/liviagabos @liviagabos @liviagabos