Gracesigns

Overview

Located in the San Francisco Bay area, GraceSigns is a 501(c)(3) educational, technology organization which develops mobile, sign language and literacy apps for children while increasing disAbility awareness. 

GraceSigns’ current app series – Sign Me A Story – teaches communication with sign language and reading through a two-part story and video format. Since its launch in 2013, it has continuously benefited children, parents, teachers and speech/language professionals (SLPs). It is affordably priced and can be downloaded on Apple and Android mobile devices.

In the Sign Me A Story app, users learn 26 signs contained in two stories. The stories tell of quirky characters – including a three-legged dog – who have embarked upon an exciting adventure.  The stories stress the importance of accepting the differences in all of us, especially those “outside of the box.” The signs are continuously reviewed and reinforced through embedded, live action, demo videos. These videos feature children with special needs, an approach which opens up children’s communication skills and expands their thinking to be inclusive of others who are differently-abled. GraceSigns provides free, downloadable curriculum, available at www.GraceSigns.org, making learning comprehension and teacher feedback feasible.

Valerie R. Carter, GraceSigns founder and the parent of a child with special needs, initially developed Sign Me A Story to help bridge the communication gap for special needs children or those with language or hearing challenges. Since then, its audience has expanded: Today, the GraceSigns Sign Me A Story app is being used worldwide by nearly 100,000 individuals of all ages and socio-economic levels. [See page 5 for an overview of Sign Me A Story’s expanded applicability and audience.]

Educational Outreach

At the local level, GraceSigns conducts community outreach in Marin County to offer free sign language learning clinics. It expects to expand its educational outreach efforts with the increased usage of its current and next generation app series.

Awards and Honors

Sign Me A Story app: “Top 10 Special Needs Apps” (2013) and “Top 30 iPad Apps for Early Childhood Education” (in 2014 and 2017).  "Top Ten Very Good Apps for Learning Sign Language." (2017)

GraceSigns: “Top 1,000 [out of 1.5Million] Top-Rated Nonprofits” (2016). 

Next Generation, Enhanced App:  Sign Me A Song

Sign Me A Story is an innovative app that has been well received. More importantly, it has set the stage for the new, groundbreaking educational app called Sign Me A Song.

Sign Me A Song is currently in production. It will teach the signing alphabet and animals of the alphabet through song, verbiage, video and cartooning, allowing users to learn 52 signs in an easy and fun format. This education app will not only be engaging and entertaining but will also incorporate a multi-level approach to learning through music: vocalization, signing, reading, listening and repetition.

GraceSigns has collaborated with local nonprofits including Futures Films and Young Performers International on the production of the new Sign Me A Song app. This new app will also have worldwide exposure and will be made available to teachers/schools at a reduced price point through Apple’s Volume Purchase Program.

Sign Me A Song is currently in production. It will teach the signing alphabet and animals of the alphabet through song, verbiage, video and cartooning, allowing users to learn 52 signs in an easy and fun format. This education app will not only be engaging and entertaining but will also incorporate a multi-level approach to learning through music: vocalization, signing, reading, listening and repetition.

GraceSigns is collaborating with two, local nonprofits – Futures Films and Young Performers International – as well as volunteer organizations and local high schools on the production of the new Sign Me A Song app, but significant funding is still needed for coding, film, artistry, and production.