ASL Projects at Open Independence: Signing Should Be for Everyone
Two projects — Sign Sense and ASL Speaker — are working to make American Sign Language easier to learn, use, and share across blind, sighted, Deaf, and hearing users.
Most technology built around sign language assumes one thing: that the person using it can see the signs clearly.
That assumption leaves a lot of people out.
DeafBlind learners, blind family members, and mixed-ability classrooms all need ways to learn and use ASL that do not depend on vision alone. At the same time, conversations between signers and non-signers still usually need a human interpreter to happen in real time.
Open Independence is working on two connected projects that approach these problems differently.
Sign Sense: Learning ASL Without Depending on Sight
Sign Sense is a suite of ASL lessons and practice games designed to work for blind, sighted, Deaf, and hearing learners at the same time.
Every sign is taught through precise, body-relative description as well as visual demonstration. That means a screen-reader user gets the same lesson as a sighted user. Audio cues and tactile-friendly explanations sit alongside videos and animations, so no one is asked to learn from a format they cannot fully access.
The games are keyboard-navigable and avoid reaction-speed challenges, which makes them easier for learners with different physical abilities and energy levels.
The goal is not to replace visual ASL instruction. It is to make sure visual instruction is not the only kind available.
You can follow the project at Sign Sense.
ASL Speaker: Real-Time Signing to Speech
ASL Speaker takes a different angle. It translates American Sign Language gestures into spoken words using computer vision and machine learning, so a signer can have a direct conversation with someone who does not sign.
Instead of waiting for an interpreter to be free, the signer can start talking. The app shows clear visual feedback, large output text, and adjustable speech so both people can follow the exchange.
It is being built as a conversation tool, not a presentation tool. Speed matters. If the translation is too slow, it stops feeling like dialogue and starts feeling like a demo. The focus is on getting the latency low enough that the interaction feels natural.
You can try the prototype at ASL Speaker.
Why Both Projects Matter
Sign Sense and ASL Speaker are not the same product, but they share a single idea: sign language access should be flexible, not conditional on how someone sees or hears.
One makes ASL easier to learn across different senses. The other makes ASL usable in everyday conversation between people who communicate differently.
Together they cover two sides of the same problem: participation.
We will keep sharing progress on both as they move through testing and into wider release. If you have ideas, feedback, or want to test either one, the Projects page is the best place to start.
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