Multiple factors can cause hearing loss. It can happen at birth or through the ageing process. Understandably, the number of individuals with hearing loss in Singapore is estimated to be around 500,000. Hearing loss is on the rise, too- hearing loss increases in the elderly (70% for those aged 70 and over), and Singapore is not just ageing- it is ageing rapidly. A substantial percentage of older adults in Singapore suffer from some degree of hearing loss, with estimates suggesting that around 422,000 older adults are affected, and more than 100,000 may have a disabling hearing impairment.
Because of this rising issue of hearing loss in Singapore, we have decided to make an application tailored to aid the auditory impaired. Our app serves as a dictionary and an interactive tool to help the target user learn sign language regardless of their hearing health.
There are two aspects to our app. The first is a dictionary that allows the target user to search for the ASL equivalent of an English word. Instead of alphabetical order, the main page is sorted by how frequently the words were searched or how relevant they are. Each list element can be starred, allowing the term to be included in quizzes or bookmarked, effectively pinning the term to the top. When searching for a word, the results will be arranged alphabetically, with bookmarked terms first. Each word will also have a few tags representing its category. The user can also search terms by tags if they don’t know the exact message they want to convey. The dictionary will also include a feature that uses the user’s camera to convert their hand signs from ASL into English.
The second aspect is an interactive learning app. This section aims to engage the user and allow them to enjoy learning ASL. Similar to Duolingo, this app will feature daily streaks and learning goals. The questions involve a video of someone performing a sign in ASL. The user is supposed to select the English equivalent from a list of other words. Their learning progress will be compared to other users (if the user allows it).
To conclude, hearing loss is a widespread issue that has a growing influence on Singapore as an ageing society.
Developed by: We Don't Know (Mun Zhong, Justin and Guan You (not in photo))