SignWiki
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- The current place for this request is Requests for new languages/Wikipedia American Sign Language 2
Wikipedia has made a Wikisound, that consider the blind. The same thing could be made for the deaf.
First of all, let me make it clear that not all deaf people are capable of understanding English (or the local hearing language). Therefore, a Wikipedia on sign-language should be made. Anyone with a webcam (and sign language skills, obviously) could contribute.
The symbolic value of making such a project is huge. Some countries don't acknowledge sign language as a language, even my own country, Denmark, doesn't. By creating a sign language Wikipedia, this'll definently help on number the acknowledgements. I realize that Wikipedia is apolitical, yet, the deaf people deserve this possibility. Wikipedia has a esperanto-section, a language that hardly anyone (if any?) speaks - why shouldn't there be a sign language-section? Several million people speak this language as their mother tounge.
The project would presumedly get a lot of publicity and make Wikipedia even more famous. Also, it'd create more exposure as to learning sign language.
I've talked with some people on the #wikipedia channel about this, and all of them were favourably disposed to the proposal. Some of the even came with some suggestion. One of them sounded roughtly like this, "in order to simplify the amount of work in translating the articles to sign language, one could make a clip with each word, then a script would make the article, assuming that the server has sign for all words". With a few corrections, this could be possible.
A problem might be getting people to participate, as only a limited number of people speaks sign language. I am one of them. And I'm willing to participate in this project by contributing with articles. I don't speak ASL, however I speak Danish sign language, and will contribute with articles in that language. And - if the project succeed - I'll take efford to getting ASL-users (I have contacts..).
I hope that, despite all the work it'd take, you'll approve the project!