User Perceptions and Preferences for Online Surveys in American Sign Language: An Exploratory Study

In order to gather data from the signing deaf community, efforts have been made to create online surveys in American Sign Language (ASL), despite a lack of user studies and UX/UI design guidelines informing the development of online survey tools featuring ASL. In this paper, we present SL-Surveys, an ASL-centric survey tool prototype showcasing a set of potential designs for multiple-choice, scalar, and multi-select questions. SL-Surveys was developed in an iterative process expressly for an exploratory think-aloud study investigating user experiences and perceptions of the designs. This preliminary study was conducted with seven deaf ASL-signing participants using a computer. The new design process, prototypes, user study and results make important strides towards a future where designs are not constrained by existing standards and practices based on written languages.