Put the interpreter in your pocket. Sign language technologies from accessibility to empowerment

Trust in the power of new technologies to create accessibility and break down barriers has often played a significant role in the disability universe, where the body becomes a privileged site for constructing meanings about limits and potential through the use of aids, prostheses, amplifications, and extensions. This has been complemented by a growing visibility of sign languages, which has contributed to the proliferation of research projects dedicated to developing technologies for deaf individuals, particularly 3D signing avatars. This contribution illustrates how such technologies are marked by various social representations, characterizing them as both top-down solutions for accessibility and as a creative tension for the empowerment of deaf individuals, while also raising ethical risks and social justice issues related to artificial intelligence.