Studio KSL helps the deaf community and local content creators in Kenya integrate sign language videos into literacy content.
Project Name
Studio KSL
Location Implemented
Kenya
Technology Used
Assistive Technology
Competition Entered
Sign On For Literacy Prize
Reading Skill Targeted
Reading Environment
Status
Finalist
Amount Award
Up to $250,000
Collaborators/Partners
Deaf Ability Initiative and The Kenya Society for Deaf Children
The Challenge
Of the estimated 32 million deaf children globally, 80% do not have access to education and only 2% receive education in sign language. Without early access to language, children fail to develop social and cognitive skills at the same rate as their peers, hindering their ability to learn to read and write and isolating them from society over the course of their lives.
The Big Idea
eKitabu launched Studio KSL (Kenyan Sign Language) to help the Deaf community and local content creators integrate sign language videos into early grade readers and produce visual children's storybooks in support of Kenya's new Inclusive Education policy. Investing to set up Studio KSL and streamline production with Deaf actors will lower the cost of producing quality visual storybooks and help to document regional differences in Kenyan Sign Language.
Featured Innovation
Studio KSL
eKitabu's innovation that develops accessible early grade reading materials in Kenyan Sign Language (KSL) to support communication skills as a pathway to literacy for children who are deaf.
Blogs and Media
News Byte // December 20, 2022ACR GCD featured in Global Book Alliance’s Partner Spotlight Series
Research and Resources
ACR GCD Alumni featured in USAID Meta Evaluation of Grand Challenges Knowledge Product on Delivering MEL
ACR GCD Alumni, eKitabu & Little Thinking Minds, are featured in this USAID Meta Evaluation of Grand Challenges Knowledge Product on how GCs measured impact and resultsLiteracy and Learning Without Limits: The Tools You Need to Ensure Children with Disabilities are Included in Your Reading Programs
Learn about open source resources like book creation software, online libraries, books, reading assessments and more, developed by winners of the All Children Reading Grand Challenge.Digital Story Time
Interactive videos featuring sign language storybooks and reading comprehension questions.Step-by-Step Guide to Creating Accessible EPUBS
eKitabu's toolkit helps publishers and others create accessible EPUBs with image descriptions, accessible navigation, dyslexic fonts, and optional sign language videos.
