Mobile American Sign Language

Inaccessible technology interferes with an ability to obtain and use information quickly and easily. Mobile American Sign Language by the University of Washington is about a recently develop cell phone software that allows deaf and hard-of-hearing people to use ASL through video calls. â€Å"The MobileASL team has been working to optimize compressed video signals for sign language. † This was a great article to read. I was excited when I was able to video chat on my cell phone, so I know deaf people are very excited to have a way of talking to each other over video chat. It is a much better way of communication for deaf and hard of hearing. Once MobileASL software is worked out it could possibly run on any mobile device. â€Å"Transmitting sign language as efficiently as possible increases affordability improves reliability on slower networks and extends battery life, even on devices that might have the capacity to deliver higher quality video. † Researchers have brought the data down to about 30 kilobytes per second while still relaying clear sign language. The participants in this study were pleased with MobileASL. Most deaf or hard-of-hearing people use text messages as a means to communicate on a cell phone. Text messaging is a good way to communicate but sometimes it is slow and the message might not be clear. Sometimes they don’t know if the person even receives the text message. I will have to find me sum deaf friends now because I love to video chat with others. Since I’m learning ASL they could help me study and still be at the house and me at mines. MobileASL can detect if you are the one signing or not. This detection helps save the battery life. If you are the one signing you use more of the battery. So I suggest you just â€Å"listen†, you will save your battery. Some phone companies need to find out how they do this so my phone battery could last longer. I would have thought that ASL signers could have video chat with an iPhone but that’s not the case. Yes they could use the iPhone but the prices are way too high. Some broadband companies have blocked the â€Å"bandwidth-hogging† video conferencing from their network. The iPhone uses 10 times more bandwidth than MobileASL. What’s the reason for them to block the bandwidth? They should be trying to help. I will read more about this because this is very interesting to me. It’s interesting that they haven’t come up with some kind of software already. Deaf and hard of hearing people do need another means of comminuting on the mobile phones besides text messaging because sometimes that just doesn’t work. The prefer talking face to face anyway. I still would like to know why they are blocking the bandwidth instead of trying to help improve the problem.