Learning sign language through multimedia

Traditionally, sign languages used by the deaf can be learned from teachers, books or video tapes. Digital multimedia, together with CD ROM technology now enables production of interactive textbooks and dictionaries for sign languages on personal computers. The paper presents the key technological and contents requirements for learning to sign from a point of view of deaf as well as hearing persons. The technological requirements are then measured up with the current Multimedia PC Level 2 specifications. An alternative representation for sign language based on edge images derived from sequences of video frames is proposed to achieve higher video compression ratios. The fulfilment of contents requirements is demonstrated by an example of the Sign Language Dictionary and Tutor.