An Evaluation of Portuguese to Libras Translator Apps Applied to the Medical Context

With over 2.4 million Brazilians experiencing hearing loss, effective communication between deaf individuals and healthcare professionals is crucial but still faces various barriers. Existing studies highlight shortcomings in the availability of interpreters and in the proficiency in Brazilian Sign Language (Libras) by healthcare professionals, leading to a dependency on imperfect methods of communication and compromising patient autonomy and care quality. Although the technological advancements are promising, including automatic translation tools, they still have limitations, particularly in the context of medical communication. This paper evaluates three popular Brazilian applications - HandTalk®, Rybená®, and VLibras®- aimed at translating Brazilian Portuguese to Libras, employing both Semiotic Inspection Method (SIM) analysis and evaluation of translation quality in medical contexts. Overall, SIM analysis revealed good communicability, albeit, with occasional breakdowns, while translation evaluations uncovered numerous issues ranging from minor to critical, potentially impacting patient understanding and health. Our findings point to critical deficits in existing translation apps, emphasizing the urgent need for improvements adapted to medical settings and bidirectional translation capabilities. By shedding light on these challenges, our study contributes to the advancement of accessible healthcare for deaf individuals and the development of more effective translation technologies.