As cultural institutions increasingly adopt digital and algorithm-driven accessibility solutions, questions emerge regarding the extent to which accessibility can be automated without compromising meaningful communication and inclusion for Deaf audiences. This presentation explores Deaf and hard-of-hearing visitors’ perspectives on sign language interpreting and digitally mediated access within museum environments.
Drawing on ongoing doctoral research conducted in Greece, the presentation examines audience preferences, satisfaction, and interaction during guided museum tours interpreted into Greek Sign Language. The study combines quantitative and qualitative methods, including questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, and observational data collected during accessible museum tours.
Particular attention is given to the evolving role of the sign language interpreter within technologically mediated cultural spaces. The presentation discusses the use of digital tools such as QR codes, recorded sign language content, hybrid access models, and remote or screen-based interpreting practices, while critically reflecting on their benefits and limitations. Findings indicate that although digital technologies can significantly enhance access, Deaf participants continue to value the human interpreter as a linguistic, cultural, and interactional mediator whose role cannot be fully replaced by automated systems.
The presentation further explores issues of visibility, audience engagement, group dynamics, cognitive load, and user-centered accessibility design in museum settings. By foregrounding Deaf audience experiences, this paper contributes to broader discussions within Translation and Interpreting Studies concerning accessibility, digital mediation, and the place of human interpreters in the era of algorithms.
Georgios Stathis is a Greek Sign Language interpreter, researcher, and accessibility consultant based in Greece. He has been working professionally in the field of sign language interpreting since 2013 and is the Founder and Managing Director of HandsUp, the first Greek Sign Language interpreting agency in Greece. He currently works as a sign language interpreter at the Hellenic Open University and has extensive experience in educational, political, media, and cultural interpreting settings.
He holds an MA in Digital Accessibility for Deaf and Hard of Hearing People in Culture from the University of Macedonia and is currently a PhD candidate at the Department of Foreign Languages, Translation and Interpreting of the Ionian University. His doctoral research focuses on Deaf and hard-of-hearing visitors’ experiences, preferences, and satisfaction regarding sign language interpreted museum tours, with particular emphasis on accessibility, interpreting methodologies, and audience interaction in cultural environments.
Georgios has participated in conferences and professional training initiatives in Greece and abroad, including presentations for EFSLI and academic institutions. His research interests include sign language interpreting in cultural settings, digital accessibility, Deaf studies, museum accessibility, and the evolving role of interpreters in technologically mediated environments.
He is a former President of the Panhellenic Association of Greek Sign Language Interpreters (ΣΔΕΝΓ) and former General Secretary of the European Forum of Sign Language Interpreters (EFSLI).
