Sign Language by Cellphone Software tricks will let the deaf
sign over smart phones In the past, engineers working on
technology to aid the deaf had focused primarily on hearing
devices, such as hearing aids and cochlear implants, but
recently they’ve been getting into what’s known as deaf
technology: applications designed to make the day-to-day lives
of the deaf and hearing-impaired easier. Now engineers from the
University of Washington, in Seattle, and Cornell University, in
Ithaca, N.Y., have taken a big step toward developing a mobile
phone that allows real-time conversations in sign language. Of
course, many in the deaf community already use mobile phones to
communicate via text messaging and e-mail, but deaf people
almost always prefer sign language: It’s faster and more
natural, just as speaking is easier than writing for most
hearing people. Laptops are getting smaller and more portable,
making video chats outside the home possible, but
Wiâ¿¿Fi–enabled cellphones would provide even more freedom. When