The Deaf use Sign Language for intellectual development, communication and other language dependent tasks, including the learning of the oral language in which they are immersed. However, Deaf children should no longer be expected to access academic learning using the oral language [1][4][6]. Rather they need to have access to a writing system in/for Sign Language. Writing systems (sequence of characters to represent a language) store and retrieve vital information for literature, science, knowledge creation, information dissemination, communication etc. SignWriting is a writing system deemed adequate to the spatial-visual nature of Sign Languages. However, the existing learning methodologies and computational technologies fail to help the Deaf (they lack usability, and/or are one-toone translation from the oral language etc.). This article proposes a new, more natural approach: that of using screen and stylus, in context. It also presents a framework with which to develop tools for written literacy in Sign Language.

The Deaf have been denied their natural language for over a hundred years, with dire consequences for their health, citizenship and culture. Sign Language is the natural language of the Deaf, used for intellectual development and other human traits that are language related. Writing Systems (sequence of characters to represent a language) store and retrieve information for literature, science, knowledge creation, information dissemination, communication over time and space etc. SignWriting is a writing system deemed adequate to the spatial-visual nature of Sign Languages. However, current computational technologies fail to provide the Deaf with effective tools for their writing needs (they lack usability, and/or are one-to-one translation from the oral language etc.). This article proposes a new, more natural approach: that of using screen and stylus for online handwritten recognition of SignWriting. This research makes available a database to be used by computer vision/character recognition to inform design of SignWriting editors.