I work for a company or research group. How do I post an opportunity?
You need an approved industry or research account. Select Industry/Research when you register, and HLAA will review the account before granting full access.
Once approved, go to Co-Design Connect and choose the Recruit option under the type of activity you are running. ICAAT reviews each posting before it goes live, checking that it fits the purpose of Co-Design Connect, describes the activity clearly enough for someone to decide whether to respond, and follows the non-endorsement and marketing policies. Postings written as promotion rather than recruitment will be returned for revision.
Does participating mean ICAAT or HLAA endorses the product?
No. ICAAT does not endorse, promote, or advertise any product or service, and the site cannot be used for marketing. HLAA maintains a strict policy of non-endorsement of goods, products, and services.
A listing is not a judgment about the product or the company. It means the posting met ICAAT's requirements for what can be posted.
The policy applies to participants too. Consumers taking part in ICAAT activities may not use the names, logos, or images of ICAAT or its parent organization (HLAA) to suggest or imply endorsement of any product or service encountered through ICAAT.
How do I find and respond to an opportunity?
You need an ICAAT account to view posting details or enroll. You can create an account for free by clicking here.
Once you are logged in, go to Co-Design Connect to browse current opportunities or filter by type of activity. Each posting describes the activity, who the organization is looking for, and how to respond.
Who can participate in a co-design opportunity?
The organization running the opportunity decides. ICAAT does not set eligibility criteria for any posting and does not screen, select, or approve participants.
ICAAT is the platform where opportunities are listed. Each posting states what the recruiting organization is looking for, which might include hearing loss history, device use, age, location, language, or technical experience. Those requirements come from the organization, not from ICAAT.
If you are unsure whether you qualify, or if a posting does not say, ask the contact named in the posting. ICAAT staff cannot tell you whether you are eligible or advocate for your inclusion in a particular activity.
What is Co-Design Connect?
Co-Design Connect is where technology companies and researchers post recruitment opportunities, and where consumers can find them and respond.
Postings cover market research, product testing, product literature reviews, and product reviews. Most are looking for consumers with hearing loss and Deaf consumers, though some also welcome family members, caregivers, or professionals in the field. Each posting sets its own criteria.
How do I delete my account?
- Select your account name in the top right corner of the site.
- Choose "My account" from the menu that appears.
- Select the "Edit" tab near the top of your account page.
- Scroll to the bottom of the page.
- Select the red "Cancel account" button.
- Follow the prompts to confirm.
How do I change how often I receive updates from ICAAT?
- After you've logged in, select your account name in the top right corner of the site.
- Choose "My account" from the menu that appears.
- Select the "Edit" tab near the top of your account page.
- Scroll down to the "Contact Settings" section.
- Under "Would you like to receive updates and announcements from ICAAT?", select "Yes."
- Open the "Notifications" dropdown and choose how often you want updates, such as Weekly.
- Select "Save" at the bottom of the page.
Why Is It So Hard to Find Out If a Movie Has Captions?
Posted:
I started with the theater's website, where most people would look. It said nothing about captions, not for that film or any other. So, I called. After more than ten minutes on hold, the person who picked up didn't know how to check whether captions would be available and didn't know who I should ask instead. The call ended without an answer. A few minutes later, an automated email arrived asking how my customer service experience had been. I replied with an honest account of how it went.
What made it stick with me was finding out afterward that the answer was supposed to be easy to get. Under a U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) rule that took effect in 2017, theaters that show digital movies must tell the public whether a film is available with captions. In my case, the information wasn't posted anywhere I could find, and the person I reached at the theater couldn't find it either.
The contrast with the rest of my town is what really got to me. My local library, a few blocks from that same theater, projects open captions on every film it shows that has them. No phone calls, no guessing, no device to track down at a counter. A nearby company that produces live plays captions some of its performances too and knowing that ahead of time changes whether I make the trip at all.
So, technology isn't the barrier. Where I live, the access already exists. What's missing in some places is a simple, findable answer to one question asked in advance: will the captions be there when I show up? The rule says that the answer is supposed to be available. My afternoon on the phone is a reminder of how easily it still slips through the cracks.
All I wanted to know was whether a movie showing at a local theater would have captions. I didn't expect that to be the hard part.
Finding Out Last: A Deaf Traveler's Experience on 9/11
Posted:
The plane landed hard and fast. No explanation appeared anywhere. I looked around and saw passengers with panicked faces, some crying. I tapped a stranger on the shoulder and wrote on a piece of paper asking what was going on. He wrote back: plane delayed, accident in New York. That was it. I still didn't understand the scale of what had happened. It wasn't until I found a television in the terminal that I saw the towers fall. My husband worked in a federal building in Washington, D.C. I used a small pager to reach a coworker there, because that was the only way I could.
Hours later, I made my way to a car rental counter. The man looked at my reservation and asked if I knew where I was. I told him Minneapolis. He wrote to me and said no, Grand Rapids, Michigan. The plane had been rerouted. Every hearing passenger around me had known for hours.
I eventually got a bus to a hotel and stayed for three days before renting a car and driving home.
The core problem was not just the chaos of that day. It was that every critical update, the landing, the reroute, the instructions from staff, was communicated through audio. Nothing appeared on a screen. Without visual communication tools, I had to chase down every piece of information myself.
Airlines have improved in some ways. On a recent flight I notified staff I was Deaf upon boarding, and a flight attendant was assigned to my area and checked in with me directly. It was the best experience I had in 25 years. But captioned announcements are still rare. Gate changes still go up as audio only. I have missed flights because of it.
What I want is straightforward: captions on screens, visual alerts for gate and flight changes, and staff who know how to communicate with Deaf passengers. Not every Deaf traveler communicates the same way. But all of us deserve to know where we are.
On the morning of September 11, 2001, I boarded a flight from Washington, D.C. to Minneapolis. I was representing Gallaudet University at a Deaf conference. Born Deaf and a Gallaudet graduate, I was used to filling in gaps that hearing people never have to think about. That morning, the gaps were enormous.
Who can see my profile information?
Only logged-in ICAAT users and HLAA staff can see profile information associated with ICAAT Tech Forum activity. Profile information is not publicly searchable, and your data is not shared with third parties.
