IssieSign – Beit Issie Shapiro

Description

IssieSign is an app for learning how to sign basic vocabulary, based on Israeli Sign Language (ISL), for the purpose of expressing needs and ideas. It was developed especially for people with complex communication needs who have difficulty expressing themselves, in collaboration with The Technology Center of Beit Issie Shapiro and SAP Labs Israel.
With a simple, clear and tailor-made design allowing for easy access and navigation for people with motoric or intellectual difficulties, IssieSign can be a significant means of communication and can help people with complex communication needs express themselves more effectively.

Unique Features:

• Large number of videos within the app (approx. 600).
• Each sign appears in the video along with the spoken word, the written word, and a familiar symbol (SymbolStix* – used in many special education schools for communication)
• Categories are classified by color for easy recognition and efficiency
• Each video is structured according to the first stages of language development – each video contains the word as a one-word stage and as a two-word stage. For example, the video for “dog” will have a clip signing “dog” followed by the sign for “big dog”.

IssieSign, is designed to meet needs that we have identified in our work at Beit Issie Shapiro with people with disabilities. It is one of a series of apps we have created with the aim of improving participation and quality of life.
The Technology Center at Beit Issie Shapiro serves as a leading hub for promoting innovation and entrepreneurship in the field of Assistive Technology (AT), bringing more accessible and affordable solutions to people with disabilities. We provide consultation and training services to families and professionals and consultation and support to developers and entrepreneurs helping them create apps and products that are accessible to a wider audience including people with disabilities.

A special thanks to the dedicated staff at SAP Labs, Israel, who are responsible for bringing this app from idea to product. Thank you to Anne Johnson-Oliss, from n2y, for guidance with Symbolstix, and to Lee Dan and Ella Okhotin for the translation to Israeli Sign Language.