Providing Support for Sign Languages in Middlewares Compliant with ITU J.202

Abstract

Sign languages are natural languages used by deaf to communicate. Currently, the use of sign language on TV is still limited to manual devices, where a window with a sign language interpreter is shown into the original video program. Some related works, such as Amorim et al. [13] and Araujo et al [14], proposed solutions for this problem, but there are some gaps to be addressed. This paper proposes a solution to provide support for sign language in middlewares compatible with ITU J.202 specification [18]. An important feature of this solution is that it is not necessary to adapt or create new APIs (Application Programming Interface) to provide support for sign languages. A case study was developed to validate this solution, implemented using Ginga-J (procedural part of Ginga middleware), a middleware compliant with ITU J.202. Tests with deaf people confirm the feasibility of the proposed solution.