S3L: TOWARDS A MOBILE-BASED SOLUTION FOR ENHANCING SIGN LANGUAGE COMMUNICATION BETWEEN PARENTS AND CHILDREN WITH HEARING IMPAIRMENT

Abstract

Parents of children with hearing impairment often face communication challenges due to limited access to flexible, culturally relevant, and user-friendly sign language learning tools. This study aims to design, develop, and evaluate S3L, a mobile application created to support parents in acquiring essential sign language skills for improved daily interaction with their children. Guided by a User-Centered Design (UCD) approach, the research was conducted in four phases: (1) exploring communication challenges; (2) defining application requirements and learning features; (3) application design and development; and (4) conducting a summative usability evaluation. Findings indicate that S3L is easy to learn and navigate, with users particularly valuing its clean interface, video demonstrations, and modular learning structure. However, several usability issues were identified, including scrolling limitations, repeated logins, and a limited vocabulary set, as areas for enhancement. Overall, S3L provides a practical, accessible, and self-paced platform that supports more inclusive parent–child communication, offering the UCD-driven, Malaysian-context mobile solutions tailored specifically for families learning sign language.