Connecting Makers and Users for Better Accessible Technology
Join ICAAT to share your tech needs and input
How much do you rely on technology each day?
What challenges have you encountered?
Would you like to help guide more effective solutions?
From captions to cochlear implants, millions of people with hearing loss depend on technology to help them communicate effectively with family, friends and coworkers. Yet, these solutions are too often developed without input from consumers like you.
To bridge this gap, HLAA introduces a new, first-of-its-kind, online community that connects hearing technology users with companies who design accessible products, apps and services: the Industry-Consumer Alliance for Accessible Technology (ICAAT).
- Make your voice heard – ICAAT provides an easy, structured way for consumers and industry to connect, work together for mutual benefit and inspire better technology from the ground up.
- Join our Tech Forum – Connect with other accessible tech users, engage in discussion groups and share your firsthand stories and experiences.
- Product research and testing – Industry representatives are looking for direct input and feedback from people with hearing loss, to ensure that their products meet customers’ hearing accessibility needs.
We invite you to join this innovative collaboration today! It’s free—just visit allianceforaccess.org or click on the link above.
ICAAT FAQs
Joining ICAAT allows you to have access to all elements of the website, including the Tech Forum, where you can participate in discussions, share resources and find event announcements, and Co-Design Connect, where tech developers can post research and testing opportunities for consumer engagement.
As someone who has hearing loss or is deaf, joining ICAAT will allow you to have access to all the site’s unique benefits including:
- The Tech Forum “Community” where you and others can discuss topics of interest and learn more about hearing assistive and other technologies.
- Interesting and useful postings you and others can share in the Tech Forum under “Resources” and “Events”.
- Co-Design Connect, a platform that will allow you to learn about research and testing activities conducted by technology developers to better understand and meet the needs of people with hearing loss and deaf people.
Tech developers who join ICAAT will have access to all the site’s unique benefits, including:
- The Tech Forum “Community” where you can share topics of interest to you, ask questions and learn more that will inform your ability to design quality technologies that will benefit for people with hearing loss and deaf individuals
- Interesting and useful information in the Tech Forum under “Resources” and “Events” postings
- Co-Design Connect, a platform that will connect you to people with hearing loss and deaf people for research and testing activities to inform and assist you in market research, design and development of your technology as it moves forward to market
Absolutely. We want to engage a broad community of people and industries to identify and achieve the most relevant technological needs for people with hearing loss and deaf individuals.
ICAAT will continue to:
- Expand and foster our network of engaged groups of technology users and technology developers
- Create, curate and provide information
- Monitor use of the site to keep it relevant and user-friendly
If you have questions or are interested in learning more, reach out to the ICAAT Team through the Contact Us form on the ICAAT website. We look forward to hearing from you!
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Introducing ICAAT
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Introducing ICAAT
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ICAAT is a joint collaboration between the American Institutes for Research (AIR), Gallaudet University and HLAA.
ICAAT is funded by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR grant number 90REGE0013). NIDILRR is a Center within the Administration for Community Living (ACL), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).