Kenyan Innovator Develops Sign Language App to Improve Communication for Deaf People
Kenyan Innovator Develops Sign Language App to Improve Communication for Deaf People
Kenyan Innovator Develops Sign Language App to Improve Communication for Deaf People
A Kenyan innovator, Elly Savatia, has developed a digital application called Terp 360 to improve communication and access to essential services for deaf and hard-of-hearing people.
Savatia developed the technology after observing how deaf people were often left out of important activities at workplaces, schools and healthcare facilities due to the shortage of sign language interpreters and the high cost of hiring them.
Terp 360 uses a lifelike 3D avatar to translate spoken words into sign language in real time, allowing users to communicate more easily.
The application was developed in collaboration with deaf and hard-of-hearing Kenyans and currently supports more than 2,300 signs. It works in Kenyan Sign Language, English and Swahili.
The innovation recently won the Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation, one of the continent’s major awards recognising engineering solutions to societal challenges.
The development represents a significant step towards improving inclusion and breaking communication barriers for deaf people, particularly in communities where professional sign language interpreters are difficult to access.
Through Terp 360, Savatia is demonstrating how technology and collaboration with affected communities can help create practical solutions that improve lives and expand access to education, employment and healthcare.
Kenyan Innovator Develops Sign Language App to Improve Communication for Deaf People
