SPOKHAND: Why We Don’t Build Sign Language Translation Tools and What We’re Building Instead

Why We Don’t Build Sign Language Translation Tools — and What We’re Building Instead

At Spokhand, people often ask:

“Why don’t you just create a real-time translation app for sign language?”

It’s a good question.

And the answer is simple:

You can’t build great tools without great data.

That’s why spokhand doesn’t provide services.

We build the data infrastructure behind them.

The Real Problem: Missing Data

There are almost no accurate, scalable tools for sign language translation today.

And it’s not for lack of ideas or demand, it’s because the data isn’t there.

sign language is a full language visual, spatial, expressive.

It relies on movement, facial expression, body positioning, and timing, not text or sound.

And yet, there’s no large, structured, ethically built dataset of sign language that developers, platforms, or engineers can use.

So what happens?

People try to build services, but without a foundation, they collapse.

They fail to represent sign language properly, and Deaf people end up excluded once again.

What We Do: Spokhand Is the Data Layer

At Spokhand, we’re not building the final apps, we’re building what apps need.

Think of us like Scale AI but for sign language.

We work at the infrastructure level:

• We collect raw videos of native signers

• We segment, annotate, and validate each sign with linguistic precision

• We organize the data so it can power multiple tools, platforms, and technologies

But most importantly, we do it with the Deaf community, not around it.

Our engineers, annotators, and designers are Deaf or directly connected to the culture.

Because a language this complex and rich can’t be captured from the outside.

It has to be built from within.

What This Makes Possible

Once high-quality data exists, all kinds of services can finally be created:

• Real-time avatar chatbot in customer support

• Sign language–accessible online courses and remote learning

• Inclusive onboarding experiences for employees

• Better AI models trained with visual languages

• Cultural tools and creative expression for Deaf creators

We don’t have to do it all.

Our role is to make the invisible layer visible; so others can build faster, better, and more inclusively.

The Bigger Picture

Our goal isn’t just access, it’s equity.

Not just adding sign language after the fact, but making sure it’s part of how the digital world is built from the start.

When the foundation is strong, the entire ecosystem can grow.

And when that foundation is Deaf-led, accurate, and open.

We all win.

This is the mission of Spokhand.

It starts with the data.

And it starts with us.

Our website: www.spokhand.org