Aim

Signly: Help us to bring the sign language interpreter app to more people and places, and have your say on where next!

What does Signly do?

Signly brings information to life for sign langauge users and, with your help, we are trying to install Signly at venues which can't afford it.

How does it work?

It's a free app which you have on your smartphone or tablet.  It uses something called Augmented Reality, but let's not worry about the technology!  When you see the Signly logo, you'll know that there's some sign language information nearby, so you just point your phone at it, and a specially prepared video is delivered to your screen.

What difference will it make?

Lots of things:

• It means that families with a deaf parent or child will be able to have days out together without having to book on a particular day. Did you know that 90% of deaf children are born into hearing families?
• People will be able to choose what information they get and when - and in the form that makes most sense to them.
• It can be used with any published or display material.  Even books.  Imagine being able to just point your phone at a page in a book and have the sign language interpretation appear.  Great for bedtime stories for the deaf parent or child.
• For the first time, information will be available and accessible to thousands of people.  From health awareness campaigns and safety signs, to "what's on" entertainment details, and loads more.
• That health side is really important - one of the inspirations behind the project was a deaf man who continually missed out on medical and health information, sadly leading to his very premature death.  If the information had been available in sign language, he would have been able to make changes to his life or at the very least, given him time to say goodbye.

So, the main differences that Signly will deliver are accessibility, equality and  enjoyment!

Why is it important?

Too much essential (and other) information is just not accessible to many users of sign language - safety signs, health and other posters, public information and campaigns, advertisements, books, brochures and so on.  There's an assumption that putting information in writing or using symbols and pictures will make it accessible.  It won't - or not always.

Signly will allow sign language users to access this information in their own time and space, giving them a new level of independence.

We want Signly to be everywhere, a bit like the loop symbol is now, and to get there, we need your help.

How do we know it works?

Quite simply - we've tested it.  Thanks to our friends at The Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre we have a full Signly service up and running.  It's been tested by Deaf visitors, schools and families, and the reaction has been great.

The users told us they want lots more Signly, and in as many places as possible.

What will we do with the money raised?

Some organisations and companies will be able to pay for Signly to be installed, but others might not.  Local charities, some health centres, and places under severe budget pressure will want to have Signly but can't afford it.  We will use the funding from you to help these organisations.

And we want you to have your say on where the funding goes.  If you're sponsoring Signly at any level, please drop us a line at [email protected] and tell us where you think Signly would be most useful.  It could be a specific location/shop/town, or a broader area like education, health, transport, leisure or the arts.

To find out more, go to www.signly.co or www.deafax.org

Thank you very much for your support

This project closed unsuccessfully on 1st February 2016