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Kenya '¯Sign Language'¯App Helps Deaf Students'¯During Pandemic

Victoria Amunga

   NAIROBI - A Kenyan man'¯who was born deaf'¯has developed a mobile
   learning application for sign language to help deaf children learn
   online during the COVID-19 pandemic.

   For'¯13-year-old'¯deaf student'¯Stephanie'¯Njeri,'¯remote learning
   during the COVID-19 pandemic could have been quite difficult.'¯ But
   thanks to the Kenya Sign Language Finger Spelling application, she has
   been able to keep up with her studies.'¯'¯'¯

   "It is easy for me when I am doing my homework and revision on my'¯own,
   when'¯my parent(s)'¯forget to finger spell it helps to remind them,"
   she said through a sign language translator.

   Njeri's'¯father, Robert Mathari, helps her study, and the KSL Finger
   Spelling app helps them communicate.'¯'¯'¯'¯'¯

   "During homework sessions you'll find that there are things she want me
   to assist," he said.'¯"But if she tries to sign to me,'¯ I'm not able
   to comprehend exactly what she needs. So,'¯she shall open the app and
   she'll start showing me'¯--'¯this is'¯what I want.'''¯

   The application was developed during the pandemic by Hudson Asiema,
   who'¯was born deaf,'¯to help'¯Kenya's 4,000 deaf schoolchildren with
   remote'¯learning.'¯'¯'¯

   "We don't have a lot'¯of these'¯apps that are centered for children
   accessible offline," he said through a sign language translator. "When
   you compare the same with the hearing kids now, they have a lot of apps
   that they can access'¯for them to learn easy basics of language, like
   alphabets.'''¯

   Disability organization'¯inABLE helped Asiema develop the app, says
   program manager Peter Okeyo.

   "Why iNABLE is coming in,'¯is to help develop this app or help link up
   the designer or developer with specialists'¯from across the world so
   that the app is enabled to have more features to be more
   friendly,'¯even to the younger ones," Okeyo said.

   Deaf community'¯leaders in Kenya say the technology has improved
   learning among deaf students.

   Chairman of Kenya's National'¯Association for the Deaf, Nixon Kakiri,
   said through a sign language translator: "It will sort out the issue of
   children staying at home and not learning sign language and through
   this'¯app ... it's'¯something which is very technical because
   they'll'¯have to use their phone and it will be very helpful to the
   deaf."'¯

   While the app was designed for deaf students learning at
   home,'¯students have found it useful even after'¯they returned to
   school earlier this month.'¯'¯'¯'¯

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