Swedish 3G sign language cellphones
posted Sep 22nd 2004 3:30PM
The standard cellphone is understandably a barrier for the sign language folks, but now that video-streaming cellphones have started getting better, new devices could mean easy access to cellular signing. And since Sweden has always been known for its socially progressive culture as well as its kick-ass cellphones, it seems natural that they would be the locale for a new 3G cellphone service for the deaf populous. The Scandinavian mobile video communications company 3 (named after 3G) has teamed their Swede crew with the Swedish deaf organization Sveriges Dovas Riksforbund (just add a few diaereses to that) to create future 3G services for Swedish signers. We're not exactly sure of all the details, but 3 has added sign lanuage video to its site to launch the collaboration.
Why don't the deaf simply text?
Why don't the deaf simply text?
Because if deaf people use text messages, they use English (or another spoken/written language). When they can sign, they use their mother 'tongue', being one or other sign language (e.g. American Sign Language, British Sign Language,...). I'd rather communicate in a language that's my own, than being forced to use one which I'm not at all that comfortable with.
(That said, the deaf are using text messages like hell. Obviously.)
Text messages aren't real time. It's very difficult to hold a conversation when you're effectively passing notes to one another. Secondly, deaf/speech impaired people require a relay service (ie. an operator in the middle) to converse with speaking people.
My only issue with using current video phones for sign language is that (certainly with BSL) you need 2 hands to sign. Who's going to hold your phone?
Just a thought...
I suspect there will be an option to turn the microphone off, focusing all the available bandwidth on video streaming - which should boost the image quality/frame rate even more.
Not to mention that signing is a heck of a lot quicker than key pressing to talk :)
In response to the first and second comments ... Deaf people do indeed use text messaging quite a lot. AIM is very popular and in America devices like danger's Sidekick are common in the deaf community. But as "Jan" noted, the native language of the deaf community is not English. Most deaf people in America use American Sign Language (ASL). ASL is recognized as a language all its own and is actually closer to French in grammatical structure.
If this device is not too buggy it will certainly be popular here in the US. Just look at the growing popularity of Video Relay Interpreting (VRI) for example.
The question about text messaging is a great one, I hope this helps to explain why it isn't enough though.