Personal Assistant

A software agent that can perform tasks or provide services based on user commands or queries, typically through voice interaction. Popular examples include Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Apple Siri, and Microsoft Cortana, often embedded in smart speakers, smartphones, and other devices. Personal assistants pose significant accessibility barriers for Deaf and Hard of Hearing users because they rely primarily on voice input and audio output, and their automatic speech recognition systems may not accurately process the speech of some DHH individuals. Research has explored alternative input modalities including sign language recognition and text-based commands to make these devices more inclusive.