L&T comes up with app for learning of sign language by hearing impaired persons

Infrastructure major Larsen & Toubro Tuesday launched a mobile app for people with hearing impairment to make learning of sign language easy. Packed with over 5,000 easy-to-understand signs and phrases, in-built videos, illustrations, the easy-to-navigate app can be used both by adults and children, who are hearing impaired, L&T said in a statement.

"As part of their Corporate Social Responsibility activities, L&T in association with the Deaf Enabled Foundation (DEF) launched an Indian Sign Language (ISL) mobile app - DEF-ISL," the company said, adding that the app makes learning of sign language easy, accessible and interesting. L&T said the customised mobile app is available for download on both iOs and Android platforms.

The DEF-ISL App also offers an opportunity to those without hearing problems to learn sign language and thereby communicate with the hearing impaired, more effectively, it said. "L&T has taken digitization to the next level by integrating digital technologies into our day-to-day business. The launch of the DEF-ISL App is a small but definitive step towards bringing the fruits of digitization to help the hearing impaired live a better life," said S N Subrahmanyan, CEO & MD, L&T.

Providing a platform that will help the entire hearing impaired community, their interpreters, families and educators to understand sign language, will go a long way to facilitate easier conversations and exchange of ideas, thereby enabling a more inclusive society, he said. "India has the highest population of hearing impaired people in the world, numbering 18 million. Only 0.25 per cent of these numbers presently have access to bilingual education where knowledge of sign language is primary and that of a local language," informed Hari Hara Kumar, General Secretary& Director, Board of DEF.

Actor Priya Anand, Brand Ambassador for DEF expressed her appreciation for the collaborative efforts of DEF and L&T Construction to address the day-to-day challenges faced by the hearing impaired.

(With inputs from agencies.)