Project CASL (Conference ASL) was initiated to rely on widespread technology to craft a solution providing remote viewers a real-­‐time web-­‐based simultaneous ASL interpretation of TEDx livestreams.

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CASL-Report1.docx
ConferenceASL
(CASL)
REPORT
1
May
2013
Sarge
Salman
sargesalman@gmail.com

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CASL-Report1.docx
INTRODUCTION
During
2012,
over
2,700
TEDx
conferences
were
organized
worldwide.
Providing
a
technology
platform
to
share
the
TEDx
experience
with
American
Sign
Language
(ASL)
users
in
real-­‐time
would
augment
both
communities.
Project
CASL
(Conference
ASL)
was
initiated
to
rely
on
widespread
technology
to
craft
a
solution
providing
remote
viewers
a
real-­‐time
web-­‐based
simultaneous
ASL
interpretation
(right)
of
TEDx
livestreams
(left):
Subsequently,
the
technology
will
be
deployed
for
deaf
TEDx
attendees,
offering
a
real-­‐time
web-­‐based
simultaneous
ASL
interpretation
of
TEDx
speakers
on
a
smartphone.
Introduction
to
Project
CASL
by
Rebecca
Minor:
http://goo.gl/hbMqs

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CASL-Report1.docx
DEMONSTRATION
SETUP
The
inaugural
CASL
test
was
undertaken
on
Friday
May
3
during
Session1
of
TEDxDelrayBeach
with
two
interpretation
teams:
NYC
(Offices
of
TLC
Labs):
Baltimore
(UMBC
campus):
• Chris
Tester
• Natalie
Atlas
• Rebecca
Minor
PhD
• Pam
Kraemer
• Laura
Wickless
The
viewer
interface
is
comprised
of
two
video
streams.
The
conference
stream
(CS)
is
a
live
video
capture
of
the
TEDx
stage
made
available
by
conference
organizers
for
free
to
Internet
viewers.
The
interpreter
stream
(IS),
provided
by
us,
is
a
live
video
capture
of
ASL
signs
from
a
remote
interpreter
watching
the
CS.
CS:
Video
feed
on
livestream.com
website
IS:
Google
Hangout
On
Air
(GHOA)
publishes
interpreter
video
on
YouTube
Palm
Beach,
FL
Everywhere!
NYC/Baltimore
Interpreter
webcam
CS CS
IS

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CASL-Report1.docx
DEMONSTRATION
RESULTS
CASL
videos
of
TEDxDelrayBeach:
www.youtube.com/user/ConferenceASL/
Lag
time,
the
delay
between
TEDxDelrayBeach
speaker
(CS)
and
the
corresponding
interpretation
(IS),
was
measured
on
viewer
computers
at
both
interpretation
sites.
NYC,
6-­‐11
sec;
Baltimore,
52-­‐60
sec.
NYC
Analytics

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CASL-Report1.docx
VIEWER
FEEDBACK
Survey
results
from
17
viewers

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CASL-Report1.docx

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CASL-Report1.docx
CONCLUSION
We
have
validated
the
browser
interface
as
a
viable
platform.
The
interpreter
community
is
eager
to
participate
and
contribute
to
the
development
of
CASL.
And
the
CASL
experience
was
well-­‐received
by
ASL
viewers.
Next
steps:
• Eliminate
Conference
Stream-­‐Interpreter
Stream
lag
• Establish
a
uniform
experience
of
CS
and
IS
streams
for
all
viewers
• Expand
outreach
to
deaf
community
and
expand
TEDx
awareness
• Grow
interpreter
roster
through
recruitment

8. Page 8 of 10
CASL-Report1.docx
FAQ
How
many
deaf
people
are
there
in
the
United
States?
Given
that
deaf
people,
as
deaf
people,
have
not
been
counted
in
the
U.S.
Census
since
1930,
deaf
statistics
are
estimates.
A
2012
study
suggests:
http://www.ntid.rit.edu/sites/default/files/number_of_persons_who_are_deaf_or_h
ard_of_hearing.pdf
How
Many
People
Use
ASL
in
the
United
States?
Given
the
lack
of
census
data,
estimates
range
from
500,000
to
2
million.
http://libguides.gallaudet.edu/content.php?pid=114804&sid=991835
How
many
ASL
interpreters
are
there
in
the
US?
The
National
Association
for
the
Deaf
(NAD)
and
the
Registry
of
Interpreters
for
the
Deaf
(RID)
jointly
certify
interpreters.
RID
recognizes
more
than
9,400
certified
interpreters.
http://www.rid.org/userfiles/File/pdfs/About_RID/RIDFY2011AnnualReport.pdf

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CASL-Report1.docx
GLOSSARY
http://www.dhs.state.mn.us/main/idcplg?IdcService=GET_DYNAMIC_CONVERSION
&dID=152685
American
Sign
Language
(ASL)
–
ASL
is
the
natural,
visual
language
of
people
who
are
deaf.
ASL
has
its
own
syntax
and
grammatical
structure
and
is
one
of
the
most
commonly
used
foreign
languages
in
the
U.S.
Deaf
–
Having
a
hearing
loss
of
such
severity
that
communication
and
learning
is
primarily
by
visual
methods
(i.e.,
manual
communication,
writing,
speechreading,
and
gestures).
Hard
of
hearing
–
Having
some
degree
of
hearing
loss
ranging
from
mild
to
profound.
People
who
are
hard
of
hearing
may
benefit
from
the
use
of
hearing
aids
or
other
assistive
listening
devices.
They
depend
primarily
upon
spoken
English
in
communicating
with
others.
Interpreter
–
A
sign
language
interpreter
facilitates
communication
between
people
who
are
deaf
and
hearing
by
signing
what
is
said
and
speaking
what
is
signed.

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CASL-Report1.docx
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Natalie
Atlas
Pam
Kraemer
Rebecca
Minor
PhD
Denise
Perdue
Chris
Tester
Laura
Wickless
Becky
Woodbridge
TEDxDelrayBeach
TLC
Labs
UMBC
Student
Support
Services