Digitization is practically possible when the community is fully committed.

New Languages

For a language to be supported on the internet, a series of steps must occur:

• Create the stack of documents on how to digitize. Language Digitization means encoding their script so it can be recognized digitally; creating software for their keyboard and other means of input; creating templates for them to start compiling digital archives of voice and text; creating digital dictionaries and digital courses for children to learn their language through modern tools.
• Zero to Digital, a step-by-step guide to implement language digitization
• Reach out to communities and assess their digital needs
• Guide the communities through implementation of language digitization.

Success Stories

Cherokee Nation

The Cherokee Nation in North America. From creating their syllabary in 1836 to contracting out the creation of their fonts they were always committed to the latest technology, from typewriter balls to early mobile and today they are fully digitized, from operating systems and desktop applications to texting, mobile apps like maps and mango, social media and everything else we do in the main 20 languages.

ADLaM

Another example is from the early 1990s when two teenagers created a writing system for the African language of the Fulani people. Their work became ”Bindi Pulaar” and eventually “Adlam”. An article entitled “The Alphabet that Will Save a People from Disappearing” describes how Adlam became widespread across many African countries. This had a huge impact on a couple of technologists who helped the brothers digitize it. The ADLaM journey started first with handwriting, then implemented it as a font encoding with Arabic code points. Technical challenges and support by technology vendors are enabling rapid growth of this alphabet in a previously under-served language community implementation. The challenges are many as the newly standardized script meets the technical infrastructure of the Internet. ADLaM holds great potential to improve literacy for millions as it is spreading rapidly in more than 20 countries.

Chakma

Watch this short video to see what a single person can do to help their language and community.