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The event was chaired by Jonathan Hassell, head of BBC New Media and was well attended by both deaf and hearing individuals.

The debate looked at research to date regarding Avators and what is planned for the future.

Presentations by Professor John Glauert of the University of East Anglia, and Professor Martin Wright from Gamelabs London showed that the aim of Avators has changed, from replacing Interpreters to now aiding the facilitation of communication.

Following these presentations Claire Chilton of RNID spoke in favour of avatars; Mark Nelson of Remark! Spoke against their use.

The debate was highly successful in obtaining feedback from deaf people about the developments they wanted in relation to avatars. After the presentations and pro- and anti- speakers, an open discussion took place, with the 2 presenters and 2 speakers being asked their views. There was so much input from the audience, clearly an issue deaf people feel strongly about.