A student at the University of Guelph has developed a website to bridge the communication gap between the hearing and deaf community. Azish Qureshi, a third-year computer science student, said he got the idea while visiting a friend who uses American Sign Language (ASL) with their parents. “It was one of the first real-world applications when I saw ASL because oftentimes it’s on the news or on livestreams, but you don’t really get to see it actually happening in front of you,” Qureshi told CTV News. Interested in learning some of the ASL basics, the 19-year-old began searching for resources when he got home. “I found that the websites tended to be outdated and there wasn’t really an interactive element behind it,” Qureshi said. “So, I decided to end up making Signiq.” The website uses artificial intelligence (AI) to help people learn ASL fingerspelling. “Fingerspelling is like the alphabet for American Sign Language,” Qureshi explained. “So, for example, if there’s something that doesn’t have a word for a name or place, you’d use fingerspelling to essentially spell it out.” The platform also uses images and videos to show how to sign a specific letter, then provides real-time corrections to ensure the letter is being signed properly. “I did contact and reach out to deaf and ASL-speaking communities online, and I was able to get lots of constructive feedback in how to make it well,” Qureshi said. For certain letters, such as ‘J’ and ‘Z’, your hand has to make a specific movement. Qureshi said that’s why he used AI to program the software. “It takes these things called hand landmarks, which are little data points that track every single finger. It sends that to the backend where the models are, and the models basically just assess if what you’re signing is within the range of that letter.” “We’re the ones who have lived experience” Andrea Zackary is a business owner who lost her hearing when she was 25 years old. With the help of translators from the Ontario Association of Sign Language Interpreters, Zackary told CTV News she thinks Signiq is a great gateway tool for people trying to learn ASL – something she always encourages. “If any non-deaf person wants any feedback on how to improve their skills or how to work with someone who’s deaf or hard of hearing, we have a whole community here. We’re here for you!” she signed over Zoom. “At the same time, people learning the fingerspelling will also benefit us. So, I love that aspect as well.” Like any new skill, it takes practice. “When I became fully deaf, I actually didn’t know ASL, I just knew the tiniest little bit,” said Zackary. “It wasn’t until I had met or embraced my culture as a deaf person, that I got more involved in the language, the community and from there I set up my business.” Zackary started Def Events & Beyond, organizing deaf-led events for the community, based on her own experiences. “In order to book an interpreter, usually you need a lot of notice. Usually two weeks ahead of time. So, I end up missing a lot of those opportunities,” she explained. “Hearing folks, even people who might have some hearing, they have a lot more doors that are open because they’re not depending on an interpreter for their communication access.” Zackary also wants to break down stereotypes and educate the hearing community. “Oftentimes, we’re stuck in the old-fashioned traditional system that exists or systems that exit which view deaf people as people who can’t, people who are incapable,” she said. Resources like Signiq, she added, are a great tool to start learning the basics of ASL. But, to really understand the nuances of the language, she encourages people to reach out to someone who is deaf or hard of hearing. “It’s important that nothing is done for the deaf community without the deaf community. We’re here to provide advice, consultation. We’re the ones who have lived experience,” she concluded. Canadian Hearing Services shared the same sentiment. “Efforts that help raise awareness of ASL can play an important role in fostering greater accessibility, inclusion and communication within our communities,” they wrote in a statement to CTV News. “At the same time, it is important to note that ASL communication is rich and expressive, not merely a translation of spoken words. Learning from a deaf instructor is crucial for understanding facial expressions, body language and inflections, all of which are crucial elements of ASL.” It is also complex, like any other language. “ASL has its own grammar, sentence structure and punctuation, and is deeply tied to deaf culture,” said Canadian Hearing Services. “Facial expressions and body movements are integral, signaling questions, emotions and grammatical nuances.” Qureshi hopes he can expand Signiq’s services with the help of the deaf community. “It would be really awesome to work with deaf or ASL-speaking software developers to expand this project more and possibly even integrate it into educational places as well, because this is an amazing gateway into someone learning ASL.”
