The Nippon Foundation Releases Handbook App for Learning Japanese, Hong Kong and Yangon Sign Languages (2)
The SignTown Handbook app, which the foundation launched on September 10 as the second stage of Project Shuwa (sign language), acts as a simple dictionary, making it easy to search for and learn signs.
Sign language is a language for mutual understanding among deaf people, and an environment in which sign language can be used is essential to promoting the participation of deaf people in society.
The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, adopted by the United Nations in 2006, clearly states: “‘Language’ includes spoken and signed languages and other forms of non-spoken languages.” In Japan, the Basi
Despite this, understanding of sign language and deaf people is not sufficiently advanced, with barriers to the use of sign language limiting the participation of deaf people in various aspects of society.
However, when public officials have held televised press conferences with sign language interpreters during disasters, this has raised awareness and increased interest in sign language, creating an ideal opportunity to promote sign language.
The SignTown Handbook app was launched ahead of the International Day of Sign Languages on September 23, which was designated by the United Nations on December 19, 2017, to raise awareness of the importance of sign language in the full realization of the human rights of people who are deaf.
September 23 is the date on which the World Federation of the Deaf (WFD) was established in 1951. The WFD is the world’s oldest organization involved with disability issues at the global level, and promotes the use of sign language to enable deaf people to participate in society.
Currently, the WFD consists of organizations of deaf people from roughly 130 countries around the world.
Roles of Project Shuwa participants:
▼The Nippon Foundation
Overall project management
Expertise regarding sign language and deaf people
Development funding
▼The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Joint overall project management
Academic oversight of sign language linguistics
Collection of training data for Hong Kong Sign Language
Expertise regarding deaf people
The Chinese Univesity of Hong Kong website
▼Kwansei Gakuin University
Collection of training data for Japanese Sign Language
Expertise regarding deaf people
Kwansei Gakuin University, founded in 1889, established the Sign Language Research Center (SLRC) in April 2015 as the first institute researching sign language at a Japanese university, and has been active in conducting the research since 2016 with support from The Nippon Foundation.
Kwansei Gakuin University website
Sign Language Research Center website (in Japanese only)
▼Googl
Project concept proposal
Research and development of sign language recognition technologies using artificial intelligence
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