LEARNING BY DOING
Sign Me Up!
Kai Pepler '18 applies his design skills in an internship with global implications for the Deaf community
by Joanie Eppinga
Kai Pepler '18, a visual communication design major, interned at the National Technical Institute for the Deaf, seeking ways to better communicate new ASL signs to the public.
Think of working on a project whose benefit will span the globe. Then, imagine doing it while you鈥檙e still a junior in college.
That鈥檚 the reality for Kai Pepler '18, a visual communication design major. 鈥淭his is an incredible opportunity,鈥 Pepler says, referring to his interdisciplinary internship at the National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID) at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). 鈥淚 love this project!鈥
鈥淭his project鈥 is the invention, recording, and distribution of new American Sign Language (ASL) signs for the field of philosophy. Representations are needed because interpreters struggle to translate complex philosophical concepts. Furthermore, like spoken English, ASL is a dynamic language that continually incorporates new words. 鈥淐ertain concepts have no official sign in ASL,鈥 notes Miriam Lerner, an interpreter at NTID. 鈥淭herefore it takes a lot of time to explain them; it鈥檚 not just one sign doing the work.鈥
After NTID got a grant from Congress, a team decided to document new signs鈥攁nd that鈥檚 where Pepler comes in. He takes video of the sign masters demonstrating each sign, which he then edits and puts on the website he鈥檚 created, adding text translations and links to additional resources.
鈥淢y dream career is to work in visual design in education,鈥 Pepler says. 鈥淚 can鈥檛 think of a better building block than this internship. I鈥檝e had so many terrific classes on illustration, writing, video work, sound, web design鈥攁nd on this project I get to use all of them.鈥
Lerner, as Pepler鈥檚 NTID supervisor, appreciates the breadth of Pepler鈥檚 knowledge. 鈥淜ai came from Nazareth with this amazing facility to negotiate what we need with what he knows,鈥 she says. 鈥淗ours after we discuss something, he comes back with, 鈥業 figured out how to do it鈥.鈥
In addition to having technical acumen, Pepler grew up with sign language鈥攈is parents are interpreters. Pepler says he鈥檚 conversational rather than fluent, but he鈥檚 learning more all the time as he uses ASL to communicate with people on the project. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a challenge,鈥 Pepler says, 鈥渂ut it鈥檚 the best kind, because it allows me to explore a new way of thinking.鈥
New fields are also likely to be explored as the project grows: the team hopes to branch out into literature, STEM, art, and beyond. NTID will publicize the project by posting on social media and linking to a previous version of the website that has received tens of thousands of hits. Lerner notes that the group will also present the site at academic conferences and interpreter gatherings. Finally, the site will be moved to RIT servers, where it will be accessible, at no cost, to everyone, everywhere.
Pepler says, 鈥淚鈥檓 awed by what it could mean if this work becomes integrated into the world.鈥 Hamilton says she too appreciates the scope of the project, adding, 鈥淜ai鈥檚 experience is a shining example of what we hope for all our students at Naz: that their learning will be enriched through meaningful work that has tremendous impact on a community larger than themselves.鈥
Pepler thoroughly enjoys helping to contribute to the flow of a global language. 鈥淚鈥檓 working to present it in the most effective and beautiful way possible,鈥 Pepler says. 鈥淭hen it鈥檚 up to the world to work with it.鈥
Post-graduation update: Pepler was hired as a web designer and videographer at RIT's National Technical Institute for the Deaf. His role evolved to videographer/visual communication designer.
Joanie Eppinga is a freelance writer and editor in Spokane, Washington.