Conference session

Deaf aesthetics is the subject of numerous research studies, including the development of deaf aesthetics design models that employ a heightened ocularcentric, multimodal, multilingual, and interactive approach to creating educational and research materials aimed at reducing inequities in the inclusive classroom. Inclusive services often remain limited due to Universal Design for Learning (UDL), which, despite being the current predominant theory, does not sufficiently address the challenges posed by audiocentric educational settings. Deaf aesthetics is predicated on the visual-spatial linguistic properties as embedded in signed language, and its design favours a “gestalt” like visual processing experience. This includes preattentive visual properties, which make it easier for students to understand what is presented through design rather than relying on processing all data in short-term memory. Our studies, so far, indicate that even non-deaf post-secondary students report a positive benefit for their learning when using online learning materials presented according to deaf aesthetics design principles (Weber et al., 2025). Yet, the application of deaf aesthetics design principles is challenging due to the numerous accessibility features already embedded in standard software applications. Our findings, based on five separate studies investigating ways in which deaf aesthetics design principles can be applied to selected software applications, indicate that software application design may favour audiocentric learning despite the significant proportion of the population who also benefit from ocularcentric design-based learning. Implications for instructional designers, software engineers, and educators working in institutions providing inclusive education services and supports are discussed.