Sign NEXT aims to make deaf people part of the mainstream conversation

Deaf engineer Theertha Nirmala was the star at a two-day conclave called Huddle Kerala organized in Thiruvananthapuram, the capital city of Kerala.

Huddle Kerala was organized by the Start-up Mission in partnership with the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) .

Nirmala has created a device called Sign NEXT to help people who are deaf. Nirmala wants to talk and communicate more effectively to deaf people across India, so they become a part of the mainstream conversation

The device won her third prize at the conclave. There was much praise for her efforts. Theertha is from Kozhikode in Kerala and works at Infopark. She completed her graduation in computer science at the National Institute of Speech and Hearing in Thiruvananthapuram. This is where she launched the device with friends.

Theertha wants to bring a change for good in the lives of deaf people. She wants to empower deaf people through science and technology. Sign Next is a step towards that goal.

A mobile app for Sign NEXT will be brought out soon. This will offer educational modules, vocational courses, live streaming, and video recordings in sign language to the deaf community. There will also be information on how to write an email and pregnancy-related knowledge given.

Watch in Sign Language