Building a classroom for everyone to easily learn Kenyan Sign Language.
#Hack4Series #Hack4PWD
- Tech for Social Impact for people living with disabilities.
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- Victor Mwangi
- Gichoya Macharia
- Aggy Okello
- Kevin Bett
Create a solution that empowers people living with disabilities by making education more accessible.
SignBonga is a digital platform designed to teach Kenyan Sign Language (KSL) in an easy, interactive, and convenient way. By leveraging Machine Learning and human tutors, SignBonga helps break communication barriers, reducing the stigma faced by the deaf community. It empowers more people to learn sign language, creating a more inclusive environment where the deaf have more people to engage with, which directly impacts their social interaction and mental well-being.
- Parents of children who are deaf or mute.
- Individuals who lose the ability to hear or speak due to illness or injury.
- Curious learners interested in learning a new language or enhancing their communication skills.
- Professionals and individuals who wish to better interact with the deaf community, such as educators, healthcare workers, and public service providers.
SignBonga fosters social inclusion and communication by encouraging more people to learn Kenyan Sign Language. By equipping users with essential sign language skills, the app reduces the stigma often experienced by the deaf and mute population, improving their sense of belonging and mental health. This wider knowledge base creates a society where deaf individuals have more people to communicate with, significantly enhancing their quality of life.
SignBonga's accessible, user-friendly approach promotes better communication, reduces isolation, and improves mental health for deaf individuals. By bridging the communication gap, it supports the deaf community’s social, emotional, and economic inclusion. SignBonga aims to cultivate a society where everyone has the tools to communicate effectively, regardless of physical limitations.
- Freemium: Provide free beginner courses to encourage widespread adoption.
- Premium Subscription: Charge for access to advanced lessons and exclusive content, including personalized learning plans, interactive sessions with tutors, and real-time feedback powered by Machine Learning.
- Storage: Cloud-based storage (e.g., Microsoft Azure) to securely store user progress and sign language learning materials.
- Front-end: Intuitive, mobile-first user interface for seamless interaction across devices.
- Back-end: Scalable server architecture, utilizing cloud infrastructure to support data handling, Machine Learning models, and real-time communication.
- Machine Learning: Real-time gesture recognition, personalized learning paths, and interactive feedback systems to enhance learning experiences.
- Security: Secure user authentication and encrypted data handling using technologies like JWT and HTTPS to protect user information.
- Promotes inclusivity and encourages widespread understanding of Kenyan Sign Language.
- Accessible from anywhere, allowing flexible learning at the user’s convenience.
- Scalable: Suitable for both beginners and advanced learners.
- Interactive tools, including tutors and AI-powered feedback, provide a highly engaging learning experience.
- Reduces social stigma and enhances mental health by empowering more individuals to engage with the deaf community.
- Requires internet access, which may limit access in low-connectivity areas.
- Subscription fees may be a barrier for some users.
- Data privacy concerns regarding user information, although mitigated by robust security measures.
- GitHub: Central repository for collaborative development and open-source contributions.
- Dataset: Extensive Kenyan Sign Language video and image datasets sourced from educational platforms and open data communities such as Kaggle.
- APIs: Integration with APIs for speech-to-sign translation and real-time video feedback (e.g., Google Cloud Speech-to-Text API, Microsoft Azure AI).
- Goal 4: Quality Education – Promotes inclusive and equitable quality education by making sign language learning accessible to everyone.
- Goal 10: Reduced Inequalities – Breaks down communication barriers and reduces social inequalities for individuals who rely on sign language.
- Goal 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions – Enhances social integration and mental well-being by fostering a more inclusive society for the deaf and mute community.
SignBonga makes learning Kenyan Sign Language easy, interactive, and accessible, helping create a more inclusive society where the deaf and mute population can communicate confidently with those around them. By bridging communication gaps, it contributes to reducing stigma and improving mental health, while also enabling greater social and economic participation.