The SIGN-HUB is a resource hub created by a European research team. It aims to document, assess, and exchange knowledge about the legacy of the Deaf community innovatively and inclusively.
The use of sign languages remains marginalized and under threat in most European countries despite renewed interest and legal recognition in some. Developing a theoretically informed comparative approach to sign language grammar is a fundamental step towards its’ preservation and dissemination. Contributes to the description of the human faculty of language, whose study is heavily skewed toward spoken languages.
The project has invested in and created an open, state-of-the-art digital platform with customized accessibility interfaces. The project has made available core content in the following domains, which can be expanded to other signing languages in the future:
- “digital grammars of 5 sign languages, produced with a new online grammar writing tool;
- an interactive digital atlas of linguistic structures of the world’s sign languages;
- online sign language assessment instruments for education and clinical intervention;
- the first digital archive of life narratives by elderly signers subtitled and partially annotated for linguistic properties.”
Specifically, the components will explore and value Deaf signing communities’ cultural, historical and linguistic assets, advance linguistic knowledge, and impact the diagnosis of language deficits among minorities. The public and specialists will access them for the first time through a centralized platform.
Our Take
“The project is an essential and invaluable step towards progress. It provides recognition, access to imperative information, and further knowledge for the public and researchers. Several efforts are underway to recognize sign language and make heritage and history accessible. However, it is not as common to find a centralized and multifaceted approach that addresses the root cause and creates resources, setting SIGN-HUB apart.
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