Multimodal Digital Narratives: Enhancing Inclusion for the Deaf Community

This study explores how Computer-Mediated Communication (CMC) fosters inclusivity and accessibility in the Deaf community by integrating visual tools such as emojis, stickers, and memes into digital narratives. CMC often merges oral and written characteristics, creating increasingly multimodal forms of interaction (D’Achille, 2019). For Deaf individuals, these tools go beyond decorative purposes to serve as essential means of communication, depicting metaphorical depth and functional clarity (Yang, 2019).The research examines three key dimensions: i) accessibility through visual metaphors,because, nowadays emojis and stickers improve textual communication, promoting accessibility by simplifying complex messages and enabling efficient meaning-making (Caruso & Maffia, 2023); ii) cross-cultural communication by embedding cultural, humorous or symbolic references, visual tools facilitate intercultural dialogue and the creation of shared digital languages, fostering inclusivity (Fontana, 2013); iii) cognitive and social inclusion asthe multimodal nature of CMC supports linguistic diversity, reducing cognitive barriers for the Deaf community while enabling active participation in digital spaces (Kress, 2010).The methodology takes advantage of digital ethnography (Wesch, 2009) and netnography(Kozinets, 2010) to analyse Facebook interactions on topics such as social issues and creative expressions. Data reveal that visual tools act as bridges across linguistic and cultural gaps, restructuring digital inclusivity and empowering Deaf users to construct co-narratives in virtual environments.Preliminary findings highlight multimodal digital narratives within the Italian Deaf community, showing how emojis, memes, and visual tools function as accessibility resources that support participation and Deaf agency online.