EthSL AI Tutor

Problem

An estimated 5M+ Deaf and hard-of-hearing people live in Ethiopia, and there are almost no Amharic / Ethiopian Sign Language learning resources. Existing sign-language apps teach ASL in English, and there are very few trained interpreters.

Solution

EthSL AI Tutor is a free, mobile-first, bilingual (Amharic/English) sign-language learning web app built for Ethiopia's Deaf community and their families. It is a lightweight static web app that runs in any mobile browser — no install needed.

Key features

• Learn mode: word cards in English and Amharic (tap a card to flip it)
• Quiz mode to test yourself
• Camera hand-shape practice with real-time feedback, using MediaPipe hand tracking that runs fully on-device in the browser (no video leaves your device)
• About page

Built September 2026.

Technologies used

HTML, CSS, JavaScript, MediaPipe Tasks Vision (hand landmarker), GitHub Pages hosting. Built with AI coding assistance (Gemini Code Assist / free AI coding tools).

Target users

Deaf and hard-of-hearing people in Ethiopia and their families.

Real-world traction

Pre-revenue. Stage: MVP refinement.

What's next

First usable learning-app version in Jan–Mar 2027 (basic lessons in Amharic and English); an interpreter booking directory to follow.

Builder

Mintesnot Mathewos Mentamo, 22, college student (Water Supply & Sanitation Engineering diploma, Hawassa Polytechnic College), based in Hawassa, Ethiopia. Solo builder. He is hard of hearing — lived experience drives the project.

Built With

• css
• github
• html
• javascript
• mediapipe-tasks-vision