Miluga

Dere wan boy.

Wan dei durin im sekond yari na high school, e go na wan smal hilltop shop fu wan errand. It was a smal shop run by wan old couple. Inside, dere was wan girl of similar age who seem fu de lookin fu somethin, but di boy no pay much attention an try fu buy weti he need an leave.

At dat moment, di shop owner, wan old lady, call di boy over. She hand him wan smal piece of paper an ask him fu read weti de write pan it.

Di note had ‘Miluga’ write pan it.

Di boy tink of wan word he could guess. He could only tink of ‘flour’ an suggest it might be flour. Di lady was grateful, an di boy return home.

However, he keep tinkin ’bout it. ‘Di shop owner probabli know how fu read…’

Di next dei, di boy go back na di shop.

“Di ‘Miluga’ write pan di note yu show me yestidei, wasn’t it write by dat girl near di entrance?”

Di lady was surprise an ask how he know. Di girl had a disability dat make verbal communication difficult. She write ‘Miluga’ pan di paper because she couldn’t communicate fu buy wan bag of flour.

Dat dei, di boy make up im mind. If he ever find himself in wan position fu help someone, he would first help dose who are physically challenged or lack educational opportunities, dose who are socially vulnerable.

[Di Korean Today] ‘Miluga’ — A story dat begin from wan boy’s memory © Di Korean Today Editorial

35 Yari Lata

35 yari don pass. Di boy found SmileStory Inc. na South Korea na 2009 an establish WIA (World Certification Industry Association) na Estonia na 2018. Wid di intention fu benefiti di world wid di most advanced technology of humanity, he don de create technology fu keep dat promise.

WIA Talk — A universal sign language platform dat allow communication wid anyone usin wan single 3D sign language, widout di need fu learn different sign languages (ASL, KSL, BSL…) fu each country. An WIA Braille (wiabraille.com) — A universal braille system based pan IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) dat allow reading na 7,000 languages once learn. Fu di deaf, dere is WIA Talk, an fu di blind, dere is WIA Braille. When dese two meet, di deaf an blind can communicate directly widout an interpreter. Dis don’t realize anywhere yet.

Di technology ready. Di 3D avatar show sign language, moves lip-sync, an express emotions. But fu dis avatar fu move more naturally — data of actual human hand movements is needed.

It take 35 yari. Durin dat time, dere must don be someone who turn away widout bein able fu buy wan bag of flour. If it had been faster, it could don reach wan more person sooner.

Now, volunteers are being recruited simultaneously from 254 language regions.

[Di Korean Today] WIA Talk 3D Sign Language Volunteer Program Guide © Di Korean Today Editorial

How fu Participate in Volunteering

Yu can do it from home, wid just wan web browser. No special skills or sign language experience is required.

Videos Are Not Saved — Only Numbers Remain

Dis na di most frequently ask question. Isn’t di video saved when filming wid a webcam?

Video files are not saved. Our proprietary technology extract two tings in real-time.

Only dese numbers are saved. Yu face image or video file will not remain pan di server. Di number coordinates an facial expression values are di key data dat bring di 3D avatar to life, an dem are sufficient.

Anyone Can Participate

[Di Korean Today] WIA Talk Volunteer Program Recruiting Simultaneously from 254 Language Regions Worldwide © Di Korean Today Editorial

Di Change Participation Brings

Di hand coordinate data yu provide become di gestures of di 3D avatar. Dis avatar is embedded in di e-books of WIA Books (wiabook.com), allowin di deaf fu read books in sign language. Dis is somethin dat don exist anywhere in di world before.

However, dere is wan more ting yu need fu know ’bout dis story.

Miluga — Di Name Dat Start from ‘Miluga’

Di girl who want fu buy flour but could only write ‘Miluga’ pan a note. We no know her name. But dose three letters don now become di name of di accessibility program of WIA Books (wiabook.com) 35 yari lata.

Miluga — A program dat provide free access rights to all published books fu UNHCR verified refugees, severely hearing-impaired, an severely visually impaired individuals.

Yu participation is directly reflected in di 3D sign language books of di Miluga program. When a deaf reader open an e-book, di 3D avatar show di book content in sign language — each gesture of dat avatar is created from yu data.

Application Guide

It’s okay if yu can’t participate directly. Just spreading dis news to dose around yu can be a great help. Sharing pan social media or tellin someone interested in sign language would be appreciated.

“Dere was a girl who want fu buy flour but could only write ‘Miluga’. Now, 35 yari lata, technology is being created dat allow people like her fu read books, communicate, an connect wid di world.”

#WIA_Talk  #3DSignLanguage  #Volunteer  #弘益人間  #Deaf  #SignLanguageBooks  #WIA_Book  #Miluga  #Refugees  #254Languages

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