Integration of Voice Input and CD-ROM Technology to Provide

The Department of Vocational Rehabilitation has determined that efforts to adequately serve Deaf clients could be greatly enhanced by a voice-to-sign translation system (Shalls, 1997; Ward, 1997). It is hard for DVR to hire enough VR Counselors fluent in sign language (Shalls) and very expensive to hire interpreters to handle all communication between Counselors and Deaf clients. Very few prospective employers can communicate with Deaf people (Shalls) so most are reluctant to accept deaf students in job trials and hire deaf applicants. To ameliorate this dilemma, a multimedia CD-ROM database will be developed which will capitalize on speech input technology breakthroughs. Here, multimedia means use of digital video to play an image of a person signing in a window on the computer. Audio will provide hearing individuals with appropriate feedback. Software will be written so a person can speak a sentence into a computer microphone, and have corresponding signs displayed back to back in a seamless fashion. The product will be called the ¿Sign Language Translator.¿ Research will determine optimal user interface and if the Translator significantly improves communication between hearing and Deaf individuals. Potentially, this product will produce more fluent, accurate communication and more job placements for Deaf clients/youth.