New Cell Technology

The SmartSign project at Georgia Tech will provide families of deaf children with a cell phone-based service that will allow them to “call” for the video of a sign at any time, in any situation, in order to facilitate immediate communication with their deaf child or to learn a sign for later interaction with the child. Simply push a button on the cell phone, say the word, and back comes the sign on the cell phone screen. Mini-lessons and information on deafness will also be sent to the cell phone, as the user desires. Families will also be able to use SmartSign to contact other families or the SmartSign staff to discuss anything related to deafness and their child. This project is federally funded by the Institute of Educational Sciences. Development will begin shortly. Anyone interested in trying SmartSign can contact Harley Hamilton (hhamilton@gatech.edu) for more information on how to participate in this new product development and trial. ~