e SIGN Essential Sign Language Information on Government

e. SIGN – Essential Sign Language Information on Government Networks z e. Content project (5 th Framework IST) z Coordinator: University of Hamburg y. Institute of German Sign Language and Communication of the Deaf e. SIGN

e. SIGN Consortium z U Hamburg (DE) – Coordinator z Systematics Integrations (EDS subsidiary, DE) z Norfolk City Council (UK) z Viataal (NL) z U East Anglia (UK) z Televirtual (UK) z Royal National Institute for Deaf People (UK) e. SIGN

Consortium Synergy Virtual Signing UH Community access UEA TVL RNID Iv. D SI NCC e. Government e. SIGN

Sign Language & the European Deaf Community z Sign language is the closest-to-native language for the Deaf community z 0. 1% of the European population z No written form of sign language z Written language competence of many Deaf people poor y. Bilingual education spreading slowly e. SIGN

Project Idea: Virtual signing into e. Government initiatives z Virtual signing reduces bandwidth problems with digital video z Relatively easy=cheap and flexible production process z Ensures Deaf people’s integration into a key component of tomorrow’s Information Society (cf. anti-discrimination acts) z Multilingual focus: British Sign Language, Deutsche Gebärdensprache, Nederlandse Gebarentaal e. SIGN

Virtual Signing on the World Wide Web e. SIGN

Builds on Vi. Si. CAST Animation and Language Technology z IST project 2000– 2002 z Virtual signing on television, in counter transactions and on WWW e. SIGN

Vi. Si. CAST Technologies z Motion capture y Motion realistic animation y Better compression than video y Expensive hardware required z Synthetic animation y Looks more robotic but is comprehensible y Even lower data rate y More flexible e. SIGN

Participation in e. Government Services z. Information services y. One-way z. Transaction services y. Two-way, but restricted back channel z. Communication services y. Two-way, unrestricted e. SIGN

e. SIGN Information Services z. Freestyle text y. Generated with an „intelligent“ sign language editor y. Requires a human translator y. Lexicon synthetic e. SIGN

“Intelligent” Sign Language Editor e. SIGN

e. SIGN Information Services (2) z. Schematised text y. Language model for restricted context y. Automatic translation allows frequent updates y. Lexicon synthetic or motion capture e. SIGN

e. SIGN Transaction Services z. Form filling with signed prompts z. Introduction and help texts with signed prompts z. Answers as numbers or text, the latter preferrably multiple choice z. Lexicon synthetic or motion capture e. SIGN

e. SIGN Contents: Germany z. Systematics & UH ze. Government components within hamburg. de z. Leading role of a European capital z. Mainly information, partly schematised text e. SIGN

e. SIGN Contents: Netherlands z. Iv. D with support from UEA z. Job service for Deaf people z. Focus on form contents e. SIGN

e. SIGN Contents: UK z. Norfolk, RNID & UEA z„Life events“ concept offered by county council z. Focus on filling forms e. SIGN

Exploitation z Client software will be made available free of charge to the Deaf community so that the three e. SIGN sites will immediately become accessible to the target group. z Enabling Deaf people’s political participation not only a social objective, but becoming a legal requirement through national anti-discrimination acts. z We provide and demonstrate a versatile and costeffective possibility to create sign language versions of e. Government portals that delivers quality without substantial bandwidth requirements. e. SIGN

Exploitation (2) z The approach taken can be adapted for other European sign languages, this requires building the appropriate lexicons. z Once the tools are in place, the model is not restricted to e. Government, but can be applied to B 2 C contexts such as mail order, virtual travel agencies etc. z It is not only the (comparatively small) customer target group, but also the prestige to care about a handicapped customer group. e. SIGN