Snapchat new lens to help learn American Sign Language alphabet

Snap is launching a new Snapchat lens that can help you learn American Sign Language (ASL). It’s called ASL Alphabet Lens, and Snapchat is launching it in partnership with SignAll, a company that has built technology that can translate sign language.

“Led entirely by Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing team members here at Snap called the ‘Deafengers’, the ASL Alphabet Lens teaches you to fingerspell your name, practice the ASL Alphabet, and play games that put new skills to the test,” Snap said in a blog post.

You can try the lens from this link, which should open in Snapchat if you have the app on your phone. I played around for it for a few minutes and was pretty impressed. The lesson I tried taught me to fingerspell the alphabet. Holding my phone in one hand, I’d sign with the other by mimicking the hand shapes shown on screen. The lens also offers a tool to help you fingerspell words and one to help you memorize which handshapes are which letter.

Snapchat also launched stickers and AR lenses with SignAll in September for the International Week of the Deaf.