Captions and Beyond: Building XR software for all users

Captions in XR provide an opportunity for participants with hearing and speaking differences or language barriers to communication. This talk covers the captions design and implementation (so far) in AltspaceVR from the perspective of one of the engineers who worked on it. In addition, this talk explores how engineering and design teams might think about designing software for those who experience XR differently from them.

This presentation will take place in AltspaceVR with a livestream on YouTube.

PRESENTER BIO
Evan Tice is a Senior Software Engineering Lead for AltspaceVR, within the Mixed Reality organization at Microsoft. He led the integration of captions into AltspaceVR and has worked in the past on Hand interactions with HoloLens, as well as other HoloLens features. Previously, he was an engineer on the Windows team.

Evan received a Bachelor’s in Computer Science from Dartmouth College and lives in Seattle.

ACCESSIBILITY
The presentation will be Captioned.

LIVESTREAM
We will have video streaming of the event to YouTube via a partnership with the Internet Society Accessibility SIG (a11ySIG).

Link: https://youtu.be/WN0Jvk57kmc

If you are unable to join via AltspaceVR, we encourage you to watch the stream on YouTube and ask questions. As we begin meeting regularly each month we will capture feedback on ways we can be more accessible and inclusive in virtual reality and start incorporating them into a set of Best Practices.

SPONSORS
Thanks to Thomas Logan and Equal Entry for sponsoring.

ACCREDITATION
All A11yVR meetups are pre-approved for IAAP Continuing Accessibility Education Credits (CAEC).

TIMELINE
Please NOTE: Meetup is not skilled in representing time zones. This Meetup is set in Tokyo, Japan so it will display differently than your local time zone. When you RSVP, use the "Add to calendar" link to receive a calendar invite transcribed to your time zone.

This timeline is based on the New York ET time zone. When you add it to your calendar, the event should reflect your time zone.

6:30 - 6:40
Login/explore/troubleshooting audio and video

6:40 - 6:45
Thomas Logan introduction to A11yVR

6:45 - 7:30
Presentation

7:30 - 7:50
Q&A with attendees

7:50 - 8:30
Breakout sessions in small groups to get to know each other in virtual reality. It is up to you if you want to stay and continue meeting other people in the room.