CGI, in partnership with Signmark Productions, designed a mobile service—Chabla—to connect deaf individuals with interpreters around the world, allowing them to pick up the phone and converse with anyone quickly and easily. For a deaf person, connecting with friends and family over the phone was not possible prior to Chabla.

Chabla provides users with 24/7 global access to online interpretation services in multiple languages. Deaf individuals also have access to their own in-app phone number so others can call them.

The service was designed with the user experience in mind. It includes several features to make it as practical as possible for everyday situations. For example, Chabla offers an instant “live call” option that can be used if a deaf person walks into a store and wants to talk with a sales person who does not know sign language.

“Chabla is a great example of how digitalization shapes the world and our lives on an everyday basis,” said Tapio Volanen from CGI. “Together, with Signmark, the Chabla team has transformed a vision into a real-life mobile experience that really makes a difference.”

Chabla is now available for iOS devices in Finland, the UK, Germany, France and Denmark.

The service has won several awards in Finland for its positive impact to society, including the Blue Arrow Award and Grand One award. Learn more by watching videos of Chabla in action.