Snapchat is looking to further its inclusivity efforts with the launch of a new series of Lenses that encourage users to fingerspell, as part of International Week of the Deaf.
As explained by Snapchat:
“Using SignAll’s AI and computer vision technology that recognizes and translates American Sign Language language, these AR Lenses will inspire Snapchatters to fingerspell their name, as well as other common words like ‘love,’ ‘hug,’ and ‘smile’.”
The Lenses, developed with the assistance of Snap’s own hearing-impaired employees, aim to elevate awareness of sign language, while also providing a more inclusive environment – and ideally, getting more creators to consider hearing-impaired users when they create their content.
In addition, users can also share their experience with the new Lenses with friends, while Snapchat’s also added some new Bitmoji stickers to further promote the event.
It’s a good initiative from Snap, because for many people, sign language remains a distant concept, something that they’re tangentially aware of but have limited direct exposure to. By promoting ASL in the app, and raising awareness, Snapchat could help to get more users to understand the need for more inclusive communication, which, in turn, could see more people considering such within their content and posting process.
You can access the new Snap sign language Lenses in the app.