Signer

A person who communicates using sign language. In accessibility contexts, signers may be deaf, hard of hearing, or hearing individuals (such as interpreters, children of deaf adults, or others who have learned sign language). When creating accessible video content, signers typically face the camera directly so viewers can see their hands, facial expressions, and body movements—all of which convey linguistic meaning in sign language. For optimal visibility, signers should be well-lit against a plain, contrasting background with enough space around them to show the full signing space. In video analysis research, the visual characteristics of signers (symmetrical hand movements relative to the face, consistent use of signing space) can be used to automatically identify sign language content.