15th of April stands as National American Sign Language (ASL) Day to honor the impact of ASL on culture and the way people connect and build community together. Reflecting on National ASL Day gives us a chance to understand the power of inclusive communication which enhances engagement and creates meaningful impact throughout business environments.
Nearly half a million Americans use ASL as their full visual language system. ASL functions beyond a mere communication method for Deaf and hard-of-hearing communities because it represents an integral aspect of their identity and everyday existence. Digital communication requires accessibility efforts that exceed regulatory standards by actively promoting equitable participation and interpersonal connections.
28 million people in the United States experience hearing loss with many depending on ASL to communicate. The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) states that ASL functions as a vital communication method for this community.
Performedia believes that true communication excellence requires making content available to everyone. Our hybrid and virtual events now include ASL interpretation along with closed captioning and real-time transcripts to enhance accessibility. We create both live keynote sessions and recorded webinars which enable all participants to interact without encountering any barriers.
The integration of closed captioning and ASL interpretation features serves to enhance inclusivity while helping to achieve organizational objectives. Research from WebAIM shows that 85% of social media videos do not have sound when watched which necessitates the provision of captions and visual accessibility features.
Our production teams receive training on accessibility best practices which include optimizing layouts for better visibility and implementing on-screen controls for enhanced user choice in content consumption. Our dedication to universal design drives these initiatives which enable accessible content to benefit everyone including multilingual audiences and individuals in sound-sensitive settings.
This National ASL Day, we’re reminding business leaders to take a closer look at how inclusive their communication really is. Whether you're hosting a virtual event or sharing an internal update, making content accessible helps everyone—from multilingual audiences to those in sound-sensitive environments. At Performedia, we stand behind accessibility as a core value, not just a service. Together, we can build events—and organizations—that include everyone, every time.
