Sign language is uniquely relational. Unlike phone calls, which can be completed over distance with no visual element, sign has not enjoyed the same ease of communication during the Industrial Revolution and beyond. The good news is that this is changing, and it’s doing so faster than ever.
As technological advancements continue to outpace themselves every year, sign language has become increasingly accessible, both for signers themselves and for those who may not know enough signed language to communicate effectively. From options to educate more people on the proper use of sign to ways in which signing individuals can access services and conversations, the possibilities are growing by the day.
Technology’s Role in Accessibility
Technological development in global communication has gone far beyond telephones and pagers. Nowadays, anyone who uses any sign language has options.
Video & Chat
Much of today’s communication is done over social media, and signers have used this to their advantage. Video-based messaging systems, like Zoom and Skype, bring the much-needed visual element of sign to anyone with an internet or data connection. Access to these platforms also improves opportunities for Deaf and Hard of Hearing people (as well as hearing people who use sign, such as those who cannot speak) by granting access to interpreters who may not otherwise be local to the signer.
Text-based chats are perhaps even more convenient. They allow the signer to communicate their ideas with less risk of misinterpretation and fewer barriers to accessibility.
But it’s not just about signing folks running through their day-to-day: calling Mom, making plans with friends, and so on. Video communication has empowered an entire generation of signers to spread awareness on social media such as TikTok. Deaf culture has found new footing in these innovations, decreasing stigma and providing greater opportunities and community access to people around the world who sign, as well as their loved ones and allies who support them.
Rising AI
AI has been the talk of the entire world for the last few years, and for good reason. This technological marvel has experienced explosive growth, enabling it to support sign language users in unique ways.
AI-powered sign language translation is increasingly paired with video-based communication platforms to enable signers to participate even more easily in conversations of all types, all without the need for an interpreter. It can reduce friction in many discussions, such as a hiring manager considering a Deaf employee, who may now communicate more seamlessly thanks to AI assistance.
This technology is still in development, but, like other AI advancements, it is expected to improve dramatically in a very short time frame. Deaf and signing individuals can help train AI to interpret sign language more accurately so that everyone’s ideas are adequately represented.
Currently, the primary challenges AI interpreters face are related to accuracy, context, and correction. Unlike a human interpreter, AI systems struggle to accept corrections from signers to recontextualize their translations. They also lack human context, such as nuances in posture, facial expression, and sign tone that can convey important information outside of finger, hand, and arm or torso movements.
Virtual Reality
In some cases, people who would benefit from learning sign may struggle to find access to educational resources. This is where virtual reality is increasingly being utilized. Suppose that a Deaf child lived in a rural area without access to sign language education or anyone to practice with. Attending VR classes could not only assist with basic education but also provide real, 3D environmental understanding, which is crucial for signing intelligibly.
Sign language includes linguistic elements that relate to space, not just movement. For example, spatial referents are invisible spots within a signer’s “space” that indicate people or objects being talked about and their relationship to each other. A person’s signing space is the radius around them in which they create signs, and understanding how far or close to the body a sign is made can influence meaning or tone. All of these practices are more easily acquired in virtual reality than in the static 2D representation on a screen.
Technological advancements continue to bring new and exciting options to sign language users. However, it is essential to continue to include Deaf, HoH, and other signers in the production and refinement of these innovations to ensure they are useful, accurate, and representative of both the linguistic and cultural features of the world’s diverse signing languages.
