[games_access] Technique links words to signing

[d. michelle hinn]

Just my own aside after reading and contributing to the topic of signing...

I think we are so lucky to have each other -- whether it's knowledge 
about different disabilities because we have them or have worked with 
those who have. Inquiries like this always cement in my mind the 
value of a group like ours -- we all want game accessibility and we 
want to make sure it makes the most sense for the groups we are 
proposing solutions for. People look to us for answers and so we must 
take advantage of this incredible opportunity we have!

There are no bad questions -- just bad results because no one thought 
to ask questions! :) So it's fantastic that we can all serve as each 
other's checks and balances. And, hey, I learn things all the time 
from you all that I had never considered but were super important to 
consider!

Michelle

>Hey,
>
>Thanks for the info I didn't even know that. But it makes sense now!
>
>Cheers Eelke
>
>
>On 9/16/07, Reid Kimball <reid at rbkdesign.com> wrote:
>>  There are different sign languages, British is different from American
>>  and so on throughout different parts of the world.
>>
>>  The reason they want to use visual signs instead of text is that it
>>  truly is a different language with its own grammar structure and
>>  rules. It's not a simple matter to translate signs to text and vice
>>  versa. People that are born deaf and grow up to learn sign language
>>  often have great difficulty reading text in English or other
>>  languages.
>>
>>  -Reid
>>
>>  On 9/16/07, Eelke Folmer <eelke.folmer at gmail.com> wrote:
>>  > Hi Barrie,
>>  >
>>  > Very interesting but unless you use mechanical puppets to animate the
>>  > sign language in a non digital environment, wouldn't it just be easier
>>  > to just use text? e.g. render subtitles on a screen? Or am I missing
>>  > something here? Is sign language the same for different languages or
>>  > is it universal?
>>  >
>>  > Cheers Eelke
>>  >
>>  >
>>  >
>>  >
>>  > On 9/15/07, Barrie Ellis <barrie.ellis at oneswitch.org.uk> wrote:
>>  > >
>>  > >
>>  > >
>>  > > A group of students working for IBM develops technology that 
>>automatically
>>  > > converts the spoken word to British Sign Language.
>>  > >
>>  > > Technology that translates spoken or written words into British Sign
>>  > > Language (BSL) has been developed by researchers at IBM.
>>  > >
>>  > > The system, called SiSi (Say It Sign It) was created by a 
>>group of students
>>  > > in the UK.
>>  > >
>>  > > SiSi will enable deaf people to have simultaneous sign language
>>  > > interpretations of meetings and presentations.
>>  > >
>>  > > It uses speech recognition to animate a digital character or avatar.
>>  > >
>>  > > IBM says its technology will allow for interpretation in 
>>situations where a
>>  > > human interpreter is not available.
>>  > >
>>  > > It could also be used to provide automatic signing for 
>>television, radio and
>>  > > telephone calls.
>>  > >
>>  > > 'Disenfranchised citizens'
>>  > >
>>  > > The concept has already gained the approval of the Royal 
>>National Institute
>>  > > for Deaf people (RNID).
>>  > >
>>  > > "RNID welcomes any development that would make the information society a
>>  > > more equal place for deaf and hard of hearing people," said 
>>the charity's
>>  > > director of new technologies, Guido Gybels.
>>  > >
>>  > > "Sign language users are among the most disenfranchised 
>>citizens as a result
>>  > > of services and products not being designed with their needs in mind."
>>  > >
>>  > > But Mr Gybels says there is still a long way to go before such 
>>prototypes
>>  > > are in everyday use.
>>  > >
>>  > > IBM runs a yearly initiative called Extreme Blue which invites
>>  > > technically-minded and business students to collaborate for 12 weeks.
>>  > >
>>  > > "We had a profoundly deaf mentor, so he kept a close eye on 
>>what was being
>>  > > done and checking whether our translation corresponded to real 
>>BSL," said
>>  > > Maria Vihljajeva, the student who developed the business plan for SiSi.
>>  > >
>>  > > The students used two signing avatars developed by the 
>>University of East
>  > > > Anglia.
>>  > >
>>  > > One of them signs in BSL and the other uses Sign Supported 
>>English - a more
>>  > > direct translation using conventional syntax and grammar.
>>  > >
>>  > > Converting SiSi to use other languages should also be straightforward,
>>  > > according to Tom Klapiscak, another student who had technical 
>>input into the
>>  > > project.
>>  > >
>>  > > "We designed the SiSi architecture in such a way that new translation
>>  > > modules can easily be plugged into the system," he said.
>>  > >
>>  > > "Obviously this would involve the work of creating the 
>>translation module
>>  > > itself - which is no small task."
>>  > >
>>  > > Mr Gybels of the RNID says he is "very impressed" with what the students
>>  > > were able to achieve in just twelve weeks.
>>  > >
>>  > > "Creating a system that can actually bridge the gap between 
>>hearing people
>>  > > who speak English and deaf people who use BSL is very important."
>>  > >
>>  > >
>>  > >
>>  > >
>>  > >
>>  > >
>>  > >
>>  > >
>>  > >
>>  > >
>>  > >
>>  > >
>>  > >
>>  > >
>>  > >
>>  > >
>>  > >
>>  > >
>>  > >
>>  > >
>>  > >
>>  > >
>>  > >
>>  > >
>>  > >
>>  > >
>>  > >
>>  > >
>>  > >
>>  > >
>>  > >
>>  > >
>>  > >
>>  > >
>>  > >
>>  > >
>>  > >
>>  > > Via BBC:
>>  > > http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/6993326.stm
>>  > > _______________________________________________
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>>  > > games_access at igda.org
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>>  > >
>>  > >
>>  >
>>  >
>>  > --
>>  > 
>>----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>  > Eelke Folmer                           Assistant Professor
>>  > Department of CS&E/171
>>  > University of Nevada              Reno, Nevada 89557
>>  > Game interaction design        www.helpyouplay.com
>>  > 
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>----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>Eelke Folmer                           Assistant Professor
>Department of CS&E/171
>University of Nevada              Reno, Nevada 89557
>Game interaction design        www.helpyouplay.com
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