Expanding Perception Through Inclusive Technology at USH2025

From 19 to 21 June 2025, the International Symposium on Usher Syndrome (USH2025) took place in Nijmegen, the Netherlands. This fifth edition brought together international researchers, designers, medical professionals, and members of the USH community to share knowledge and explore new perspectives.

On Saturday 21 June during the public USH2025 Symposium, Michel Witter, researcher at CARADT and senior lecturer in Interaction Design at Avans Creative Innovation, presented his work in a lecture titled:

“Expanding Perception Through Inclusive Technology”

In his talk, Witter introduced his research into sensory augmentation technologies that aim to bridge the sensory divide between Deaf and hearing people. As a PhD candidate at Tilburg University, he investigates how current technologies often fall short in enabling real-world perceptual integration. To address this, he is developing a co-creation toolkit that helps designers engage with diverse sensory experiences and create inclusive technological solutions.

Through concrete examples such as collaborative design processes involving Deaf and hearing museum visitors, Witter illustrated how new sensory modalities might allow people to hear invisible light or feel WiFi signals. His research challenges normative assumptions about perception and technology by prioritising situated, participatory approaches.

More about his lecture ‘Expanding Perception Through Inclusive Technology’ (in Dutch)