South African Sign Language Services
Ellipse World coordinates South African Sign Language (SASL) versions of video content and prepares accessible written material for Deaf audiences, working with qualified SASL practitioners. The aim is simple: information that Deaf South Africans can access in their own language, on their own time.
South African Sign Language, the twelfth official language
South African Sign Language is the natural language of the Deaf community in South Africa. In 2023 a constitutional amendment made SASL the country's twelfth official language, alongside English, Afrikaans and the nine official indigenous spoken languages. This recognition confirmed what the Deaf community had long asserted: SASL is a full language, not a support tool or a gesture system.
SASL is a visual language. It uses handshapes, movement, the position of the hands in relation to the body, facial expressions and body posture to convey meaning. It has its own grammar and word order, which are different from English. SASL is not English expressed with the hands, and it is not the same as the sign languages used in other countries: British Sign Language and American Sign Language, for example, are separate languages. Like spoken languages, SASL also shows regional variation in vocabulary, partly linked to the history of Deaf schools in different parts of the country.
For many Deaf South Africans, SASL is the first and preferred language, and written English or Afrikaans is a second language. This has real consequences for communication: a dense written document may not be accessible to a Deaf reader, even though it is technically "in writing". Ellipse World helps organisations close this gap with SASL video content and carefully adapted written material.
A clear scope: recorded and written content
Ellipse World's SASL services focus on content that is prepared in advance and published: videos, recorded messages, websites, documents and learning material. Ellipse World coordinates the work of qualified SASL practitioners, manages the project in writing from quote to delivery, and checks that the final content matches your source and your audience.
Ellipse World does not provide live sign language interpreting. If your need is a live interpreting service, you should contact a provider that specialises in it. What Ellipse World offers is the careful, planned production of SASL and accessible content that stays available to your audience long after it is published.
SASL and accessibility services
Ellipse World adapts your content so that Deaf audiences can access it, in SASL and in accessible written form.
SASL video versions
SASL versions of recorded content, such as explainer videos, public messages, training videos and website introductions, produced with qualified SASL practitioners.
Request a quote
Accessible written content
Plain-language versions of documents, forms and web pages, written for readers whose first language is SASL.
Website translation
Health information
SASL video versions and plain-language texts of patient information, health campaigns and clinic notices, checked for accuracy.
Medical translation
Workplace and HR content
Induction videos, safety rules, HR policies and staff announcements made accessible to Deaf employees.
Business translation
Rights and consumer information
Plain-language and SASL versions of terms, rights information and public notices, so that Deaf customers and citizens can understand them.
Legal translation
Campaigns and brand content
SASL versions of campaign videos and social media content, so that brands and public bodies include Deaf audiences from the start.
Marketing translationProducing SASL versions of video content
A SASL video version presents your message directly in SASL, usually with a signer visible on screen, either in a dedicated video or in a clearly visible area of your existing video. Ellipse World coordinates the preparation so that the result is accurate, legible and suited to your channel.
Preparing the source
Good SASL content starts with a clear source. Ellipse World reviews your script or transcript first and suggests simplifications where the English is dense, ambiguous or full of jargon. Because SASL has its own grammar, the practitioner works from the meaning of the message, not word by word, and needs a source that is final and well understood.
Terminology and names
Some concepts, product names and place names have established signs in SASL; others need to be fingerspelled or explained. Ellipse World collects the key terms in advance and agrees with the SASL practitioner how each will be handled, so that the same term is signed the same way across a series of videos.
Visibility and format
A signer must be clearly visible: hands, face and upper body, with enough contrast and size on screen, including on small mobile screens. Ellipse World discusses the format with you in writing, whether a separate SASL video, a picture-in-picture signer or a SASL version published alongside the original, and adapts it to where the content will be watched.
Review before publication
Before delivery, the SASL version is checked against the source for completeness and accuracy. Ellipse World recommends that organisations producing content for the Deaf community also involve Deaf reviewers where possible, and can include this in the project plan.
Including Deaf audiences in your communication
Since SASL became an official language, more organisations are asking how to make their information accessible to Deaf South Africans. Ellipse World works with:
- Government departments, municipalities and public entities publishing service information, notices and campaigns.
- Health services, medical schemes and NGOs sharing health information that every patient must understand.
- Employers with Deaf staff, for induction, safety, HR policies and internal communication.
- Banks, insurers, retailers and telecom providers explaining products, rights and terms to Deaf customers.
- Schools, universities and training providers making learning material accessible.
- Museums, cultural institutions and event organisers producing recorded guides and introductions.
Plain-language writing for Deaf readers
Not all accessible content is video. Many Deaf people read English or Afrikaans every day, but as a second language. Long sentences, idioms, passive constructions and unexplained jargon make written texts much harder to follow. Ellipse World rewrites documents and web pages into clear, accessible language, without changing their meaning.
- Short sentences and active voice: one idea per sentence, with a clear subject and verb.
- Everyday vocabulary: technical or legal terms are kept where necessary, and explained the first time they appear.
- No idioms or wordplay: expressions that depend on spoken English or puns are replaced by direct statements.
- Clear structure: headings, short paragraphs, numbered steps and lists that make the text easy to scan.
- Visual support: Ellipse World indicates where an icon, diagram or example would help, so that your designers can add it.
Websites and digital services
Websites, online forms and apps are often the first place a Deaf customer goes for information. Ellipse World reviews key pages, rewrites them in accessible language, and can recommend where a short SASL video would help, for example on a home page, a contact form that works in writing, or a page explaining how to apply for a service.
Captions and subtitles
Captions are not a replacement for SASL, because they rely on written language, but they are an important part of accessible video. Ellipse World can prepare accurate written caption text for your videos in English and other languages, alongside a SASL version, so that viewers can choose the format that suits them.
SASL and accessible content combinations
Ellipse World combines SASL with written content in English and other South African languages.
See also: isiZulu translation, isiXhosa translation, Afrikaans translation and all languages.
Making recorded SASL content available in writing
Communication also flows the other way. Deaf individuals, Deaf organisations and researchers produce content in SASL: recorded statements, video feedback, testimonies, presentations and community submissions. When this content must be read by people who do not know SASL, Ellipse World coordinates a written English translation by a qualified SASL practitioner.
Typical uses include video submissions in public participation processes, recorded feedback for surveys and research projects, and SASL video messages that must be documented for an organisation's records. The written translation keeps the meaning and intent of the signer and, where useful, notes passages where facial expression or emphasis carried an important part of the message.
SASL content for organisations across South Africa
Ellipse World serves clients in every province. Many requests for SASL and accessible content come from national and provincial bodies in Pretoria, from corporate head offices in Johannesburg and Sandton, and from public bodies, universities and companies in Cape Town.
Because SASL shows some regional variation, Ellipse World asks where your audience is based and takes this into account when selecting a practitioner and agreeing terminology.
Everything is handled online and in writing: you send your scripts, videos or documents by email or upload, receive a fixed written quote, and get your SASL video files and accessible texts by secure download.
Ordering SASL or accessible content
Share your content
Send your script, video, transcript or document, and describe your audience and where the content will be published.
Written proposal
Ellipse World replies in writing with the recommended format, a fixed price and a delivery date.
Preparation and production
The source is clarified, key terms are agreed, and a qualified SASL practitioner or accessibility writer prepares the content.
Check and deliver
The result is checked against the source, then delivered as video files or editable text.
Making SASL content that works
Organisations that are new to SASL content often ask what makes the difference between a token gesture and genuinely accessible communication. Ellipse World shares these principles with every client.
Plan accessibility from the start
Adding a SASL version at the last minute often leads to a signer squeezed into a corner of the screen. Planning it from the script stage gives the practitioner time to prepare, and gives the signer proper space in the final video.
Keep the source clear and final
Changes to the script after the SASL version has been recorded mean recording again. Ellipse World recommends finalising and approving the source text before production starts.
Respect the Deaf community
Many Deaf people identify as members of a linguistic and cultural community, often written with a capital D. Content should address Deaf viewers as a language community, not only as people with a hearing loss. Ellipse World helps you choose respectful wording in your written material too.
Offer more than one format
Deaf audiences are diverse. Some people prefer SASL, some prefer captions or written text, and many use both. Combining a SASL version with captions and an accessible written summary reaches the widest audience.
Make written contact possible
Accessible content should lead to accessible contact. Ellipse World recommends that every SASL video or accessible document point to a way of responding in writing, such as an email address, an online form or a messaging channel, so that Deaf viewers can act on the information.
Why choose Ellipse World for SASL content
Qualified SASL practitioners
SASL content prepared by practitioners who know the language and the Deaf community.
Source preparation
Scripts and documents clarified before production, so the SASL version is accurate.
Accessible writing
Plain-language texts for readers whose first language is SASL.
Multilingual projects
SASL combined with English, Afrikaans, isiZulu and other language versions.
Honest scope
Recorded and written content, clearly defined in your written quote.
Everything in writing
Fixed written quote, firm delivery date and instructions documented by email.
South African Sign Language: frequently asked questions
Is South African Sign Language an official language?
Yes. A constitutional amendment in 2023 made South African Sign Language the twelfth official language of South Africa.
Is SASL the same as signed English?
No. SASL is a full language with its own grammar and word order, different from English. It is also different from British Sign Language and American Sign Language.
What SASL services does Ellipse World offer?
Ellipse World coordinates SASL versions of recorded video content and prepares accessible written material for Deaf audiences, working with qualified SASL practitioners. Ellipse World does not provide live interpreting.
Are captions enough to make a video accessible to Deaf viewers?
Captions help, but they rely on written language, which is a second language for many Deaf people. Ellipse World recommends combining captions with a SASL version for important content.
Can you translate recorded SASL videos into written English?
Yes. Ellipse World coordinates written English translations of recorded SASL content, such as video submissions, feedback and testimonies, by qualified SASL practitioners.
Can you make our documents easier for Deaf readers to understand?
Yes. Ellipse World rewrites documents and web pages in plain, accessible language, with short sentences, explained terms and clear structure, without changing their meaning.
How long does a SASL video version take?
It depends on the length of the content, the complexity of the subject and the format. Ellipse World gives a firm delivery date in the written quote, after reviewing your script or video.
How much do SASL and accessibility services cost?
The price depends on the length and type of content, the format and the deadline. Ellipse World sends a fixed written quote before starting.
Need SASL or accessible content?
Send your script, video or document to Ellipse World and receive a fixed written quote with format, price and delivery date.