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Symbol Font for ASL

How can you read and write American Sign Language?

Goals

Develop a system for writing ASL online.

Strategy

Symbols Types
Handshapes
Systems designed for ASL have used as few as 22 handshapes or as many as 85. (Universally-targeted writing systems need even more handshapes). The goal is not necessarily to reduce the handshape list to be phonemically accurate, but given the limitations of a standard keyboard, this system will need to use symbols wisely. A good compromise is somewhere between the extremes.
Orientation
Some systems leave out palm orientation entirely, since it can often be inferred from the other information, and signs can be recognized without it. Since this system will not have the luxury of full 2-dimensional space, an orientation notation will be helpful.
Location
ASL uses a number of locations on the head, body, non-dominant arm, and non-dominant hand to convey meaning in signs. Without the luxury of 2-dimensional space, a limited list of approximate locations will be needed.
Relative Location
ASL makes full use of the 3-D signing area, so a method for showing location relative to the non-dominant hand, or to reference points in space, will be necessary.
Contact
When a sign involves the hands touching one or more locations, some systems notate the type of contact that is made. Although signs in a detailed 2-D system are recognizable without it, it will be helpful here given the other limitations of this system.
Movement
There are quite of few types of movement, and complex movements are going to be a challenge. The goal will be to be able to represent movements just enough to be recognized by the reader.
Non-manual features
In order to represent full sentences, a system for writing non-manual elements is necessary.

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