Podcasting has become a dominant medium for sharing insights on education, culture, and professional growth. Yet, accessibility across the industry remains narrow. Most creators rely solely on automated captions or written transcripts, which fall short of delivering true linguistic accessibility. American Sign Language (ASL) is a rich, distinct natural language with its own grammar and syntax, not a direct visual translation of spoken English text. For Deaf individuals, especially those working in education and language acquisition, reading subtitles cannot replace engaging with content in their primary language.
Avant, known worldwide as the Language Proficiency Company, is working to correct this disparity. Starting with its September 16th announcement, all future episodes of its podcast, The Multiliterate Mind, feature full ASL interpretation. In this Executive Q&A, David B., Co-Founder and CEO of Avant, shares why centering Deaf educators and sign language users is essential, how this shift redefines digital inclusion, and what the wider media and education sectors must do to make accessibility standard practice.
Q: What prompted Avant Language to incorporate full ASL interpretation into all future episodes of The Multiliterate Mind?
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David B.: Our mission is to improve the teaching and learning of languages–all languages. Sometimes, a moment comes along where you realize there’s a gap that you never saw before. The Multiliterate Mind podcast is an ongoing conversation with educators about proficiency and language learning in the new AI world. There are companies out there even using AI to try to create generated sign language interpretation, so we felt it was a major gap to not have sign language educators and the Deaf and Hard of Hearing communities fully able to participate in this important conversation.
Q: Many podcast producers believe closed captions or text transcripts are sufficient. Why are subtitles inadequate when it comes to serving ASL users?
David B.: Subtitles are helpful, to be sure. However, sign languages, whether American, British, French, German, etc., are entirely different languages. That means in order for a non-hearing person to engage with the content, they have to have enough reading proficiency in the subtitled language to be able to follow the content. In most cases, subtitles can move very fast and the person reading will miss the action happening on the screen because they are reading. It's the same for anyone learning a second or third language trying to watch a movie in that second or third language. Your proficiency level will determine how easily you can follow along, meaning a lot of people may not actually get what you’re trying to produce. Or, not watch it at all.
Q: Misconceptions about signed languages persist in education and media. What core misunderstandings about ASL do you hope this initiative helps dismantle?
David B.: We hope this helps dispel the myth that American Sign Language is just English in hand gestures and the assumption that because a Deaf person may know ASL, that they also must know English just as well and subtitles will always suffice. Ideally this sets a new standard for this media and opens up new opportunities for all audiences to engage.
Q: As someone who has spent decades studying and advocating for language proficiency, how did your background shape your view of linguistic equity for the Deaf community?
David B.: My background with years of work in language assessment helped me to recognize that signed languages like ASL are complete, natural languages, and that they deserve the same rigor in assessment as any other language. Yet until we created what we believe to be the world’s first online assessment of a signed language, there was no accessible, affordable third-party assessment of proficiency in ASL.
Q: What logistical steps were involved in integrating qualified ASL interpreters into your production workflow, and what advice would you offer other creators hesitant about the process?
David B.: We knew we had to find a partner who was both trusted in the Deaf community with proven quality in their interpretation standards, as well as having the ability to record and supply the video within a short period of time for each episode. A few different options were presented–including a newer company using AI to generate interpretations. After consulting with our ASL experts and having multiple conversations with Sorenson, we decided they were the right choice for us to get this initiative launched. They have a network of human interpreters (for many signed languages), the technology to produce the video, and the team to quality check and edit in a timely manner.
Q: Looking ahead, how do you hope the education and podcasting sectors respond to this move toward genuine linguistic inclusion?
David B.: We certainly hope to see more people adopting this inclusion standard. Podcasting has helped make education more accessible and free to many more audiences. But, as long as these barriers still exist, it won’t be available to everyone. Producing the interpretations isn’t free, and until AI can achieve the high-quality results in ASL interpretation that it is not yet able to do, we understand not everyone will be able to do it. We just hope that between setting a high bar and advances in technology, that one day all content will be accessible and in ways we haven’t yet even thought of.
True accessibility requires recognizing that communication goes beyond standard text alternatives. By introducing ASL interpretation to The Multiliterate Mind, Avant Language demonstrates how media producers can honor linguistic diversity and welcome Deaf educators and learners directly into the dialogue.
As digital media expands, creating equitable access must shift from an afterthought to an essential standard. Prioritizing primary languages like ASL ensures that vital conversations about language, literacy, and learning reach every community without barriers.
To learn more, visit https://www.avantassessment.com/
