Technology can be a good ally of people with some kind of disability. Let the users of the Hand Talk app, a real-time Portuguese translator for Libras (Brazilian Sign Language), who has been awarded for the initiative say so. Google AI Impact Challenge in 2019.
The app is freely available for devices with Android and iOS systems. Who guides the conversation or the classes is the friendly virtual assistant Hugo. He is capable of interpreting in Pounds audio and text messages in Portuguese.
Here's how to use and enjoy all the features offered by Hand Talk. Get to know other apps designed to make life easier for people with disabilities.
How to use Hand Talk, Pound Translator
Pounds the sign language used by the deaf community in Brazil. According to Libras.br, different from what many people think, Libras is not the Brazilian Portuguese represented in gestures, but rather a language of its own.
To learn new words and enrich your communication, follow the steps:
1. Download Hand Talk on your Android or iOS device;
2. Open Hand Talk. You will be welcomed by virtual assistant Hugo;
3 You can communicate with Hugo in two ways: by composing the content in the text field and sending in the arrow, or by pressing the microphone icon and holding it down while speaking;
- If this is your first time using the app, it allows the program to record audio.
4 If you want to learn the gestures better, access the side menu. If it is not displayed, go to the three dots icon next to the text box;
5 By tapping on the back arrow symbol, Hugo repeats the last move;
6 With the two right arrows, the character repeats the movements at a faster (if pressed once) or slower (if pressed twice) pace;
7 In the star symbol, it is possible to evaluate the gesture, but for this, it is necessary to create an account in the service. If that's what you want, go to Create an account, which appears in the window that opens;
8 You can create quick access with your Facebook or Gmail account or by entering your email address and password. Choose the one you prefer;
9 Back in the side menu, the square icon with an arrow lets you create an animated motion GIF and share it through other apps like WhatsApp, Email, Drive, Instagram, and more.
Other Hand Talk Features
As we have already mentioned, the app offers other features besides the Portuguese translation of Libras. Note that the top of the left screen is an icon formed by three horizontal lines. Tap on it to access the other tools.
In History, all translations already made in the app are displayed. This requires an account associated with the service.
To dust #HugoEducation features a number of videos hosted on YouTube. The lessons of the virtual assistant take place in the most different scenarios, such as restaurant, supermarket, camping, on the beach, among others. The goal is to enrich the vocabulary of the students.
The item Dictionary rene words in alphabetical order separated by categories. They are: Portuguese, Mathematics, History, Geography and Science. When selecting one of them, the user comes across a list related to the theme. Tap on the one you want to learn and Hugo will teach.
More apps focusing on accessibility
Technology can even be a great ally of people with disabilities, whether physical or intellectual. Increasingly, applications are emerging to make their lives easier. Here are some great examples below:
Be my eyes
THE Be my eyes a free app for Android and iOS aimed at the visually impaired. The goal is for voluntary seers to help virtually blind or visually impaired people by acting as their eyes.
When necessary, the user requests assistance and the available volunteer responds, either by reading a menu, medicine leaflet, checking the validity of a product or describing a scenario or situation.
When using the app for the first time, you can choose which languages you can help.
Wheel guide
The Wheel Guide is a guide for people with walking difficulties. Users themselves evaluate tourist sites and commercial establishments, creating an information network.
Sites may be considered accessible, partially accessible, or not accessible.
According to the creators, the app already has ratings in over 800 cities in 32 countries. When opening the program, it searches for nearby locations. But it is also possible to search for points in different places of the world through the search tool.
Wheel Guide is available for Android and iOS devices.
See it
See it is another app designed to help visually impaired people. Only available for Android, the program is capable of identifying and reading text in images. That is, it recognizes labels, expiration dates, among other information.
Simply open the app and point the rear camera at what you want to read. The app interprets the content and says it aloud, much like what we see in Google Translate.
Developers report that the software does not effectively identify handwritten text or cursive fonts.
VLibras
VLibras is a multiplatform Portuguese translator for Libras. Developed by the Federal University of Paraba, it is available for Android, iOS, Chrome, Firefox, Safari, as well as for Windows and Linux.
Its version for smartphones and PCs resembles Hand Talk, in a simpler version. The translation is also done by a virtual assistant. The user can compose the text or speak it and adjust the speed of gestures easily.
In the browser edition, a window opens on the screen and the wizard translates textual content selected by the mouse.
If besides Libras, are interested in learning other languages, check out our list of 6 translation apps for iPhone and Android. Also find out which apps are best for learning and practicing English.
