We are finally moving towards making the disabled a part of mainstream society. A number of efforts are on to make the lives of the hearing disabled, productive as well as comfortable. These efforts involve developing technologies that will not only recognize spoken English and convert it into sign language, but also convert sign language into spoken English.
Once these products are mature and commercially viable, there will definitely be an increase in the number of educational and employment opportunities for the hearing disabled. However, society needs to change the way it looks at the disabled people. Although attitudes are changing, much more needs to be done in this direction.
Today, technology has provided a number of solutions to remedy hearing disabilities. Hearing aids have undergone tremendous improvements. Cochlear implants are now available that can correct deafness or hearing disability in certain cases.
However, there are people with hearing disability whose condition cannot be corrected through such means. Sign language is a viable and time-tested solution for people with hearing disabilities that cannot be cured. Much of the research work that is being carried out to use technology for providing solutions to the hearing disabled is also largely based upon sign language.
A two-way dictionary for conversion of English into sign language and vice-versa is a very exciting possibility. This will require the recognition of a visual gesture and conversion into a spoken form. There are a number of technology based challenges in such research before a commercially viable product can be released. It would not be imprecise to say that the technology is in its infancy; much like speech recognition software was around two decades ago.
Such tools promise to help the hearing disabled to learn sign language . These tools can make significant changes in the way sign language is taught and interpreted, by providing people with hearing disability with a means to be less dependent on a sign language interpreter.
The time may not be far away when we can think in terms of including sign language as a regular language in our school curriculum, thereby eliminating the social barriers that have segregated the hearing disabled.
