IBM online interpretation service launched at 2009 Deaflympics
Last updated 9/17/2009 5:19:05 PM
IBM online interpretation service launched at 2009 Deaflympics
Over 200,000 deaf and hearing people in Taiwan, China, will benefit from a real-time online sign language interpretation project launched by IBM and the Chinese Deaf Association, giving its users anywhere-anytime access across the island, through the provision of video and audio instant messaging.
IBM and the Chinese Deaf Association introduced the service to support the organisation of the 21st Summer Deaflympics held in Taipei city, Taiwan, which finished this week. IBM provided 30 laptops and equipment at the game venues and service centres to provide sign language interpretation service to Taiwan athletes and staff.
For this project, IBM will provide 200 laptops in total to the deaf community to validate the service model and efficiency through this platform. In the future, the service model can be replicated to cover foreign languages or dialects to provide real-time interpretation service.
IBM has also built the first Web site for the local deaf community in Taiwan, called iSign iHear, providing the deaf and hearing impaired with the basic information they require in a format of video clips.
The site content has been designed based on user needs covering daily news, healthcare, legal service and job information. In the section of Life Map, places where users often visit or stores owned by deaf people are marked to help them travel around the island with more ease.
Interpretation service is not easily available in Taiwan; each deaf person receives 20 hours a month of sign-language interpretation service from social services which must be booked five days in advance, and there are cost and a lack of qualified interpreters issues.
IBM and Chinese Deaf Association started working in 2008 to build the online, real-time sign language interpretation service based on IBM Lotus Sametime instant messaging solution and WiMax wireless broadband technology.
Lotus application can be installed onto wireless laptops equipped with a Web cam and wireless internet connection. When users communicate or listen to people who do not know sign language, they can connect to a Web-based service centre where sign language interpreters are available.
Using instant messaging and video chat, the interpreter can facilitate the conversation by signing to the person with a hearing impairment and when necessary translating the sign language for the hearing person.
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