GSMA Innovation Fund Grantee: Signs Media

Sign language interpreters play a crucial role in the life of a person with a hearing impairment, allowing them to communicate effectively with the world around them. But in Kenya, there are only 500 sign language interpreters serving over 260,000 people with hearing impairments. With most of the interpreters based in urban areas, many services remain out of reach to low income and rural populations.

Signs Media Kenya Limited is on a mission to change this. Through their assistALL app, they are providing affordable, high quality sign language interpretation services to the hearing impaired. The app also enables businesses and organisations to better communicate with customers who are hearing impaired or deaf.

Signs Media is one of the start-ups supported by the GSMA Innovation Fund for Assistive Tech, which was launched in April 2021. It is funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), and supported by the GSMA and its members.