Voice to Sign Software?
Some of our best information is buried in the comments section. Here’s one of several posts bringing those questions and answers forward for everyone to see.
My church has a new deaf member. We are trying to figure out how an interpreter software can be added to our services to aid in communication. We are looking for voice to american sign language software and are having a hard time. Any suggestions? -Richard, 5/16/2019 (Welcoming Deaf People In Your Church)
Congratulations on your new church member, and kudos for seeking to serve their non-standard needs.
There is a very good reason you cannot find a voice-to-sign software – none exists. English is very linear, whereas sign language is multi-dimensional, where emphasis, punctuation, and more is reflected in facial features and body language. English is word-by-word, while sign language is concept-by-concept, so a computer knowing all the nouns and verbs still can’t produce an accurate representation of the true message.
Voice-to-text, such as Dragon Speaking, may be a useful compromise, but again, there are considerations of spelling (to, too, two) and whatever limitations your new member may have in reading and/or receiving idioms, names, and other phrases that require an additional layer of referential information to understand and apply. A skilled typist could add the human touch and provide information on a screen, which would also serve hard-of-hearing congregants.
The best way to ensure that the messages delivered are accurately received is to invest in a certified human interpreter who can present them in the language your new member(s) best understand. This may be ASL (American Sign Language), SEE (Signed Exact English), or even oral English (interpreter verbally/silently repeats the message within clear easy view).
May this be a wonderful growth experience for your congregation and the local deaf community.