SPICE project partner Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona participated in the 43rd International Congress of the Spanish Association of Applied Linguistics (AESLA2026), held in Granada, Spain.
During the conference, Aida Villaécija presented the paper “Language and identity: Representativity and preferences of the Deaf community in the use of signatory avatars”, co-authored with Pilar Orero and Anna Matamala, as part of the SPICE project activities.
The presentation focused on the importance of understanding the needs of all citizens, particularly people who face communication barriers in public spaces. Within SPICE, the research explores how communication can become more inclusive through accessible design approaches and innovative tools such as Catalan Sign Language avatars.
The study also examines how open users are to these emerging technologies and how they can support more inclusive interaction within urban environments. Insights collected through focus groups will contribute to at least two upcoming academic publications.
Developed within TransMedia Catalonia and the SG21-Q1/21 working group of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), this work reflects a shared commitment to placing users at the center of innovation and ensuring that future public spaces are accessible and inclusive for everyone.