Towards Audio Personalization for Accessible Digital Media

Digital media is increasingly audio-rich, yet much of its sound content remains inaccessible for deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) individuals. While prior work has focused on captioning and sound recognition, little research has explored how sound itself can be transformed to better align with hearing needs, preferences, and contexts for people with partial hearing. In this paper, we present findings from a formative study with 24 DHH participants that examines their experiences and unmet needs around digital media audio. Participants emphasized the importance of features such as selective speaker amplification, contextual sound control, semantic summarization, and adaptive personalization. Based on these insights, we introduce the ReMediaTion Framework, a layered model that articulates user goals, audio transformation dimensions, interaction strategies, contextual modulation, and expressive engagement. Our work provides a foundation for designing future audio accessibility systems that go beyond substitution, empowering DHH users to reshape how they experience and interpret sound.