Investigating the Efficacy of Conference Room Webcams for Remote Group Sign Language Interpretation Sessions

Sign language interpreters play a crucial role in facilitating communication between Deaf individuals who primarily use sign language and people who use spoken language and lack proficiency in sign language. One method for providing this service is live video streaming, such as video remote interpreting (VRI) or video relay service (VRS) interpreting. In this case, during group sessions that involve multiple participants and various visual aids, interpreters often have limited access to the Deaf clients’ environment due to the constraints of their cameras’ field of view (FOV). This study examines whether enhancing interpreters’ access to a Deaf client’s environment using cameras with a wider FOV can improve the overall effectiveness of interpreting group sessions. To explore this, we developed an application using conference room webcams and conducted usability testing sessions with twenty experienced VRI/VRS interpreters, who evaluated different screen layouts through simulated group meetings. This paper presents the findings on nine different layout configurations, including screen layout, FOV, and the ability to observe the presenter’s movements during group sessions.