There are already 40, validated signs, 511 developed signs (they are waiting to be approved by the judges) and 394 signs that need to be checked,.All of them are likely to be included in the Costa Rican, Sign Language, Digital Translation (LESCO). It is a technological tool developed since February, 2015, at the Technological Institute of Costa Rica (TEC).
On November 12th, it was evaluated by the Costa Rican deaf community in the Señatón, held at Jade Museum. The signs included so far needed to be approved by this population.
Carlos Chacón, director of TEC Digital, explained that from this evaluation, they determined that facial expressions should be included, so that, some signs can make sense. In addition, they plan to carry out a second Señatón, in order to approve all the signs that the translator has.
Chacón stated that the tool can be used in two ways and one of them is ready. This one is related to the institutions’ posibility to explain some of their procedures through sign language.
For example, the migration procedures in an airport can choose the relevant information they want deaf people to know; they contact TEC Digital and gives us the text, we assemble a working group that analyzes the text and produces it for LESCO,
explained Chacón.
The second tool is a translation machine in real time, but it would be available within 2 years.