Comprendre et faire comprendre

This project, part of an interdisciplinary PhD in design and social innovation, is funded by Mitacs and Société Inclusive. It is based on the observation that, in Quebec, over a million people are deaf, and 90% of children with hearing disabilities have parents who are normal-hearing. To be understood, and therefore to promote the social participation of hearing-impaired people, deafness must cease to be invisible. One of the aims of the Association du Québec pour enfants avec problèmes auditifs (AQEPA), a partner in the project, is precisely to raise awareness, to deconstruct prejudices against young people living with hearing loss and to share their reality, in order to make society more inclusive.

The aim of the Comprendre et faire comprendre project is to design, produce and validate an immersive film based on design fiction workshops and a creative research approach. This film, a genuine communication and educational tool produced with the active participation of half a dozen adults with hearing impairments and cochlear implants, aims to transpose and make tangible the experience lived by these people in public environments. This will enable them not only to explain their situation and share it with those around them, but also to raise awareness among people with normal hearing.

Overall, this partnership research project consists in making deafness tangible and understandable through the experience of an immersive design fiction tool, with the aim of raising public awareness (e.g., parents, caregivers, professionals, community organizations, public agencies) of the communication challenges faced by people living with deafness, in order to promote their social participation.