It’s a great way to get a quick chuckle, offer a bite-sized bit of information or simply brighten up a bad day. Now, a GIF (Graphics Interchange Format aka Great Internet Fun) can help teach you a new language.
Sign with Robert, a video portal to an extensive collection of Educational Sign Language and Deaf Culture content, has signed up with GIF search engine, GIPHY, to launch a library of free sign language GIFs. Actor and educator, Robert DeMayo, who hosts the video series, says that through GIFs in ASL “everyone can learn sign language”. Deaf people can send these to others who are hard of hearing, while those who can hear can learn a new sign every day, says DeMayo, who was born deaf.
A positive response
Sign language not only helps one communicate with the deaf-extremely significant when you consider that there are over 18 million people in India who are hard of hearing-but can also come in handy in a crisis. It could be a useful tool for firefighters, police officers and scuba divers, for instance.
The response to this language in a GIF format has been overwhelmingly positive, says Hilari Scarl, director and producer at Sign with Robert.
“The deaf community thinks it’s fun and entertaining, and that they can spice up their emails, texts and social media,” she says.
An interesting initiative
S ign with Robert was the outcome of a feature documentary that Scarl worked on, in 2010, called See What I’m Saying . While touring with it (DeMayo was part of it, too), she met a lot of people who wanted to learn how to sign. “So Robert and I collaborated in an educational culture series, called Sign with Robert, which has 30 episodes along with educational content that is distributed through Tugg (a theatre demand service),” says Scarl, adding that the duo spent almost two years developing this project.
Solving a problem
The tie-up with GIPHY happened on February 16 this year. “They contacted me, saying they were interested in collaborating with us to do sign language GIFs,” she says. There was no monetary exchange but, “We thought it was great exposure for the series and an innovative way for people to learn sign language.
This is a pressing need today, as there is a lack of sign language interpreters worldwide. “It’s a big problem when deaf people need emergency services or have a doctor’s appointment or even want to have an in-depth conversation,” she says, pointing out that hastily written notes are often their only recourse. Scarl hopes that people who see the GIFs will also attempt to learn sign language. “Until now, GIFs have been about fun and entertainment. However, there is a practical purpose to it, too.”
