Amangeldy, a scientist born in Mongolia, moved to Kazakhstan with her family after the country gained independence. She is continuing her father’s dream of contributing to Kazakh society.
Her father, a graduate of Abai Kazakh National Pedagogical University, moved to Kazakhstan in 1993 after receiving a scholarship. His goal was to serve his homeland, and Amangeldy believes he has achieved that dream.
Developing AI for Sign Language
Amangeldy started her scientific journey in 2002, studying informatics at Pavlodar State University before transferring to Gumilyov Eurasian National University in Astana. After earning her diploma and master’s degree, she began a doctoral program in AI in 2019.
Her research focuses on using AI to help people who are deaf or hard of hearing. She is developing a system that translates sign language into Kazakh to improve communication and accessibility.
“There is no standard Kazakh sign language yet. I selected 1,000 words in Kazakh, Russian, English, and Turkish to compare them. Some Kazakh words, like ‘aksakal’ (elder) and ‘baybishe’ (elder’s wife), don’t have direct translations, so we adapted them for sign language,” Amangeldy said.
Aiming for Social Inclusion
She has already translated 4,000 words into Kazakh sign language, but only 400 are widely understood. This means that a person reading two pages of text would only understand about 20%. Her goal is to improve literacy among deaf individuals so they can better integrate into society and find jobs.
Amangeldy took a basic sign language course to better understand the needs of the deaf community. Using AI, she processes large amounts of data to make communication easier. “My main aim is to help people who are deaf or hard of hearing benefit from this project,” she said.
There are around 33,000 officially recognized deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals in Kazakhstan, but estimates suggest the number could be as high as 200,000. Many struggle with education and job opportunities due to a lack of resources.
Improving Education for Deaf Children
Amangeldy pointed out that the challenges begin in early childhood. “There are not enough specialists in kindergartens to prepare these children for school. If they don’t learn sign language early, they struggle to catch up later. Many graduate with certificates but can’t continue their education or find work,” she explained.
In Kazakhstan, only a few colleges offer sign language education, and they mostly focus on crafts and service-related jobs. Amangeldy believes the solution starts with improving literacy from a young age.
Testing and Future Plans
The Kazakh sign language AI project is currently in the testing phase. Amangeldy is working with institutions and educators to refine the system.
“Our project acts as a bridge, connecting people who can hear with those who are deaf or hard of hearing through AI technology,” she said. That’s why she named it SignBridge.
Source: astanatimes
