Miluga

Dere was a bwoy.

One day during him second year a high school, him go a one likkle shop pon top a hill fi run an errand. It was a likkle shop run by one old couple. Inside, dere was a gyal a similar age who look like she a search fi someting, but di bwoy neva pay much attention an try fi buy wah him need an leave.

At dat moment, di shop owner, one old lady, call di bwoy over. She hand him a likkle piece a paper an ask him fi read wah deh pon it.

Di note had ‘Miluga’ written pon it.

Di bwoy think a one word him could guess. Him could only think a ‘flour’ an suggest it might be flour. Di lady was grateful, an di bwoy return home.

However, him keep thinkin ’bout it. ‘Di shop owner probably know how fi read…’

Di next day, di bwoy go back to di shop.

“Di ‘Miluga’ written pon di note yuh show me yesterday, wasn’t it written by dat gyal near di entrance?”

Di lady was surprise an ask how him know. Di gyal had a disability dat make verbal communication difficult. She wrote ‘Miluga’ pon di paper because she couldn’t communicate fi buy a bag a flour.

Dat day, di bwoy make up him mind. If him ever find himself in a position fi help somebody, him would first help dose who physically challenge or lack educational opportunities, dose who socially vulnerable.

[The Korean Today] ‘Miluga’ — A story dat begin from a bwoy’s memory © The Korean Today Editorial

35 Years Later

35 years pass. Di bwoy found SmileStory Inc. in South Korea in 2009 an establish WIA (World Certification Industry Association) in Estonia in 2018. With di intention fi benefit di world with di most advanced technology a humanity, him a create technology fi keep dat promise.

WIA Talk — A universal sign language platform dat allow communication with anyone using a single 3D sign language, without di need fi learn different sign languages (ASL, KSL, BSL…) fi each country. An WIA Braille (wiabraille.com) — A universal braille system based pon IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) dat allow reading in 7,000 languages once learned. Fi di deaf, dere is WIA Talk, an fi di blind, dere is WIA Braille. When dese two meet, di deaf an blind can communicate directly without an interpreter. Dis neva realize anywhere yet.

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

It take 35 years. During dat time, dere must a been someone who turn away without being able fi buy a bag a flour. If it did faster, it could a reach one more person sooner.

Now, volunteers a get recruit simultaneously from 254 language regions.

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

How to Participate in Volunteering

Yuh can do it from home, with just a web browser. No special skills or sign language experience required.

Videos Are Not Saved — Only Numbers Remain

Dis a di most frequently asked question. Isn’t di video saved when filming with a webcam?

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

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

Anyone Can Participate

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

Di Change Participation Brings

Di hand coordinate data yuh provide become di gestures of di 3D avatar. Dis avatar embed in di e-books of WIA Books (wiabook.com), allowing di deaf fi read books in sign language. Dis a someting dat neva exist anywhere in di world before.

However, dere is one more ting yuh need fi know ’bout dis story.

Miluga — Di Name Dat Start from ‘Miluga’

Di gyal who want fi buy flour but could only write ‘Miluga’ pon a note. We don’t know her name. But dose three letters have now become di name of di accessibility program of WIA Books (wiabook.com) 35 years later.

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

Yuh participation a 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 a created from yuh data.

Application Guide

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

“Dere was a gyal who wanted fi buy flour but could only write ‘Miluga’. Now, 35 years later, technology a being created dat allow people like her fi read books, communicate, an connect with di world.”

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