Designing and Conducting Inclusive Research:
How a Global Technology Company and an Online Research Platform Partnered to Explore the Technology Experiences of Users who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing
Project Overview & Approach
As part of Lenovo’s broader commitment to Smarter Technology for All, I led a team of researchers from Lenovo and the Dscout research platform to design and conduct an inclusive, mobile-first ethnographic study focused on the technology experiences of individuals who are d/Deaf and hard of hearing (DHH). This population is frequently underrepresented in user research despite the prevalence of hearing loss worldwide and the central role technology plays in work, learning, and communication.
The project had two equally important goals:
- Generate actionable insights to inform more accessible product design at Lenovo and platform improvements at dscout.
- Interrogate and improve our own research practices, ensuring they were ethical, inclusive, and responsive to participants’ communication needs.
Because traditional in-person ethnography was not feasible—and often not accessible—we adopted a remote, mobile-forward research approach, allowing participants to share their experiences from their natural environments while accommodating a wide range of communication preferences.
This case study serves as both a product research initiative and a proof-of-concept for inclusive research design in large organizationD
Participants
Methods
Phase 1: Mobile Diary Study (2 weeks)
Participants completed a series of unmoderated, media-rich activities using dscout’s mobile platform, including:
- Tours of their home and work tech environments
- Documentation of everyday devices and tools
- Reflections on good and bad design
- Descriptions of challenges related to hearing loss
The asynchronous format allowed participants to respond on their own terms and enabled scale within a niche population.
Phase 2: In-Depth Interviews
Nine participants were selected for one-on-one interviews to deepen our understanding of diary study themes. Interviews were conducted using accessible platforms that supported ASL interpreters, CART captioning, and live captions, requiring thoughtful coordination and operational planning.
Inclusive Research Design Considerations
Throughout the study, we adapted our research design to support accessibility by:
- Asking participants about communication preferences during screening
- Providing multiple response modalities (signing, speech, writing)
- Budgeting for transcription, translation, and interpretation services
- Allowing additional time for signed video transcription and analysis
These decisions were critical in creating a research environment that participants described as respectful, trustworthy, and inclusive
1. Live Digital Communication Is a Major Pain Point
Video calls and online meetings were the most consistently cited sources of frustration and exclusion. Issues included poor lip-reading conditions, unreliable captions, audio-only speaker detection, and difficulty managing multiple streams (video, captions, interpreters).
2. Captions Are Essential—but Often Inadequate
Participants relied heavily on captions, yet reported frequent problems with accuracy, lag, placement, or complete absence. Many emphasized that captions are foundational to participation, not a “nice-to-have.”
3. Hearing-Assistive Device Compatibility Is Critical
Users repeatedly highlighted the lack of seamless Bluetooth connectivity between laptops and hearing aids or cochlear implants—especially compared to smartphones.
4. Technology Barriers Are Social Barriers
Many challenges stemmed not only from product limitations but from a lack of awareness and accommodation by hearing colleagues in shared digital spaces.
5. Inclusive Design Creates the “Curb-Cut Effect”
Improvements designed for DHH users—better captions, clearer video, customizable layouts—benefit many others, including non-native speakers, people in noisy environments, and multitasking professionals
Product & Platform Influence
- Findings were shared internally at Lenovo to inform future product planning and accessibility efforts.
- Research insights were delivered to dscout’s product teams, directly influencing platform improvements.
dscout Platform Improvements
As a result of this work:
- Signed videos being incorrectly flagged as upload errors were identified as a bug and corrected.
- Live automatic captioning was added to dscout Live.
- Plans were initiated for multi-moderator sessions, enabling interpreters and translators to participate fully in live research.
Inclusive Research Best Practices
Both organizations adopted clearer standards for:
- Budgeting accessibility accommodations
- Designing flexible research protocols
- Asking participants about needs upfront
- Treating accessibility as a research quality issue—not a constraint
Together, these changes improved not only accessibility research, but all research conducted across both organizations.
Project Milestones
2021
Inclusive Research Initiative & Partnership Launched
Lenovo initiates focused accessibility research and forms a research partnership with dscout to explore the technology experiences of users who are Deaf and hard of hearing.
2021
Two-Phase Inclusive Ethnographic Study Completed
A mobile diary study and in-depth interviews are conducted with 23 DHH participants using adapted, accessible research methods designed to support diverse communication needs.
2022+
Research Impact, Publication & Practice Change
Findings are published in EPIC Proceedings and lead to measurable changes, including accessibility improvements to the dscout platform and the adoption of inclusive research practices at Lenovo.
Citations & References
- Gierdowski, D. C., Eisenhauer, K., & He, P. (2022). Designing and Conducting Inclusive Research: How a Global Technology Company and an Online Research Platform Partnered to Explore the Technology Experiences of Users who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing. EPIC Proceedings, 176–192
- Designing and Conducting Inclus…
- World Health Organization (2021). Deafness and hearing loss.
- Blackwell, A. G. (2017). The Curb-Cut Effect.
- Charlton, J. I. (2000). Nothing About Us Without Us.
- Kushalnagar, R. S., & Volger, C. (2020). Teleconference Accessibility and Guidelines for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Users.