How is your business helping to solve the health, social, or economic challenges created by COVID19?
Clear communication is vitally important during these unprecedented and challenging times. People whose native language is American Sign Language (ASL) can often be out of the loop when it comes to communicating with a community and society that does not understand sign language. Our company aims to bridge this gap by providing high-quality ASL to written English and written English to ASL translation services. Most of us are familiar with sign language interpreters and many have seen these hard working professionals alongside political, health, and business leaders in recent weeks conveying important information related to COVID-19 and its impacts on every facet of our society. Translators, as opposed to interpreters, produce accurate written documentation of a Deaf or hard-of-hearing citizen's communication and render written English into accessible ASL. These translations can provide a critical service in a variety of settings including health care, education, and business. None of the major or minor translation companies on the market today offer sign language to written English translations. Often Deaf and hard-of-hearing people to ask family, friends, or others with no qualifications as translators to help get their message accross. The Sign26 mission is to empower Deaf and hard-of-hearing people with written English. We value equal access, nondiscrimination, and communication equity for all and ask you to join us in this important work.
Does your business contribute most to recovery, response, or resilience?
Recovery - we're positioned to support in the recovery of those directly affected.
What is the stage of your product development?
I have a market-ready product/service. I could sell it to customers
What strengths does your team bring? Include skills and personal experience with the problem.
Our team consists of two individual who both have had extensive life experience with the very issues and pain points Sign26 addresses and mitigates.Nieves Perez Besu is a Deaf woman and professional engineer. She has experienced first-hand the challenges of communicating in a hearing world. These challenges, as described by Harvard Law School graduate Haben Girma, the Deafblind disability rights lawyer, author and speaker, are a function of the system in which they operate rather than a problem endemic to Deaf, hard-of-hearing, or Deafblind people.Dan DeLuca has degrees in aerospace engineering and education of the Deaf both from Boston University. He is a Maine certified teacher of the Deaf, former principal at Maine's only school for the Deaf, and a nationally certified sign language interpreter. Dan recognizes the critical need for improvement in the ASL to written English and written English to ASL translation services marketplace.
What countries do you operate in?
We plan to operate in the United States and Canada.
Is your company headquartered in a US "Opportunity Zone"?
No
