Maartje De Meulder

We're happy to share some of the accepted work for #DeafTech2026. Thanks to everyone who submitted their work and to our reviewers for their evaluations! Poster and demo submissions remain open until 20 February www.deaftech26.eu/program

"I was forced to use AI until the day I was laid off." Copywriters reveal how AI has decimated their industry Copywriters were one of the first to have their jobs targeted by AI firms. These are their stories, three years into the AI era.

When the AI boom began, copywriters were singled out as one of the jobs most vulnerable to AI. Now, three years later, I wanted to hear from workers on the frontlines of the industry, to hear what had actually taken place on the ground.

For many, it was even worse than they'd feared.

We are looking for a new team member for an exciting project investigating how remote sign language interpreting services may be improved using augmented reality! Application deadline: 31 January 2026 werkenbij.uva.nl/en/vacancies...

Yes that’s a great idea and something we will take up!

Group photo of around thirty people in a classroom setting. The group includes people of different ages, skin tones, and gender expressions. Some are seated in the front row while others stand behind them. Several people are wearing casual clothing, and a few wear matching T-shirts with the Dr Deaf logo.

Another week of deaf academic becoming ❤️ #DrDeaf
academic.oup.com/jdsde/advanc...

Thrilled to see the #drDeaf article I published with @mdemeulder.bsky.social @annelieskusters.bsky.social is now the fourth most read article in the journal after one day of publication! Join the crowd and read the open access article here: academic.oup.com/jdsde/advanc...

This is our rhythm: academic becoming and realignment in deaf space Abstract. Deaf scholars have long worked at the margins of academic institutions not designed for them. Designated deaf academic spaces—where deaf ways of

Academia wasn’t built for deaf scholars—but what if it was? Our new paper uses #DrDeaf as an example of alignment in action: how deaf ways of knowing and teaching reconfigure academic space and becoming. With tensions, yes—but also with a distinct deaf rhythm. academic.oup.com/jdsde/advanc...

This is our rhythm: academic becoming and realignment in deaf space Abstract. Deaf scholars have long worked at the margins of academic institutions not designed for them. Designated deaf academic spaces—where deaf ways of

Highly recommended for all mentors and advisers who work with deaf students in graduate programs: academic.oup.com/jdsde/advanc...

Analysing data from our 2025 survey on AI adoption among sign language interpreters and speech-to-text reporters in Belgium and the Netherlands. We're looking at how practitioners perceive the benefits and risks of language AI, workflow changes, and human-AI collaboration. More to come!

🚀 Call for Papers: #DeafTech2026. We want anything on tech + deaf experiences. Deaf interpreters using captions, deaf animator & game devs, speech-to-text in daily life, sign language AI, VR/AR, media & streaming and more critical/theoretical reflections. Deadline: 8 Dec AOE www.deaftech26.eu/cfp

New book outlines theoretical and methodological approaches to analyzing deaf people's experiences of understanding and being understood. buff.ly/zoyy9jt

A few more things about #deaftech2026
1. This is a deaf-only conference. This is intentional.
2. The conference language will be International Sign
3. This is not an “AI conference” - obv submissions on AI are welcome, but this is about the whole spectrum of how technologies meet deaf experiences

Registrations for the DeafTech 2026 conference are now open. Get your ticket today! www.deaftech26.eu/registration

There’s still time to apply for the Deaf in AI & Technology workshop. The deadline’s this Sunday, 23 November. Re-sharing in case you haven’t seen it yet.

Deaf Tech Conference 2026 - FAQ YouTube video by Deaf Tech Conference 2026

More information on deaf technologies, ticket system, call for papers, and why you should join the #deaftech2026 conference! youtu.be/KFCYmGPobqo

We had our first Professor Deaf #drDeaf workshop with 22 Deaf mid/senior career academics having a dialogue across sessions on career stages, academic administration, running research centers, mentoring and more.

Save the date! 📣 First International DeafTech conference, May 26-27, 2026, Vienna. www.deaftech26.eu

User Acceptance of Augmented Remote Sign Language Interpreting | Adjunct Proceedings of the 25th ACM International Conference on Intelligent Virtual Agents

New paper! We tested AR glasses for Video Relay Interpreting (VRI). Interpreters preferred AR VRI over VRI; deaf users saw future potential but said current tech isn't good enough. Real-world unscripted testing gave different results than lab experiments.
dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/...

This week will be the first Professor Deaf workshop! This is a #DrDeaf event aimed at mid career academics. We will be a group of 22 deaf academics from 8 different countries. Excited about this new addition to the #DrDeaf offer!

With this questionnaire @karogebruers.bsky.social, Deborah Giustini and I are exploring the impact of AI language technologies on VGT/NGT-Dutch interpreters & notetakers in Belgium (Flanders) and the Netherlands. If you are among the target group, do participate! forms.cloud.microsoft/e/MVGHn45Pa7

Meet this year’s Deaf Studies Incubator Fellows  | Deaf Studies | Gallaudet University What do you get when you put four Deaf scholars from around the world together in a historic house for a year? The Deaf Studies Incubator.  The

Impressive group of deaf scholars! gallaudet.edu/deaf-studies...

🚨 #SLE2026 Workshop alert! 🚨
How do Large Language Models reshape linguistics? 🧠🤖
Join the debate about LLMs' impact on linguistic theory, methods and human language! Osnabrück 26-29 August 2026.
#LLM #linguistics
Full text of our workshop proposal:
societaslinguistica.eu/sle2026/wp-c...

‘No evidence’ BSL harms speech or literacy, as researchers stress benefits of early access Hearing families should stop being told not to use sign language with their deaf children, deaf academic Dr Kate Rowley has said, with there being “no evidence” it impacts speech or literacy.

Hearing families should stop being told not to use sign language with their deaf children, deaf academic Dr Kate Rowley has said, with there being “no evidence” it impacts speech or literacy.

Early years sign language access for deaf children ‘likely cost-effective’, study finds A new study shared at the British Deaf Association's (BDA) annual conference in Leeds has concluded that investing in British Sign Language (BSL) for deaf children is "likely cost-effective", returning £4 to the economy for every £1 spent.

A new study shared at the British Deaf Association's (BDA) annual conference in Leeds has concluded that investing in British Sign Language (BSL) for deaf children is "likely cost-effective", returning £4 to the economy for every £1 spent.

Thanks to @liamodell.com for covering my presentation on the ethics of the development and use of sign language technologies at the BDA conference in Leeds. And thanks to @bda.org.uk for the invitation! The UK has given me a lot as a deaf scholar over the years - happy to give back in return.

De Meulder's keynote address yesterday at #ICED2025 deeply reinvigorated me. It felt good to see such a powerful talk, one that accurately deciphers our needs as Deaf people and the vital importance of Deaf academic spaces! Thank you again!

Wide view of a large auditorium filled with attendees watching a keynote presentation at ICED 2025. A speaker stands on stage presenting, with slides and sign language interpretation projected onto two large screens above.

My keynote presentation at #ICED2025 yesterday was about the critical importance of deaf academic spaces, presenting #DrDeaf as an example, and the values they entail for broader deaf educational environments.
Preprint of the paper: lnkd.in/ecx4bM-D
Full keynote presentation: lnkd.in/eE7qrkhY

It’s the first time since the 1880 Milan conference, which endorsed oralism, that the conference is held in Italy again. So it will be a very symbolic one as well.

A conference badge with a red lanyard lying on a wooden table. The badge reads: “ICED 2025, Rome - Italy, July 7 - 11, 2025” at the top, with the name “DE MEULDER, Maartje” in large text in the middle. At the bottom, on a red strip, it says “KEYNOTE SPEAKER.”

First conference stop this summer: ICED in Rome, the premier international conference on deaf education. It’s my 3rd ICED, after Maastricht (2005) and Vancouver (2010). Among the approx. 600 participants are 130 deaf participants, including many presenters. Great to see this deaf space at ICED.

I see the "we cured deafness" injection is making the rounds in the UK now. Let's discuss 🧵