Meet the Mexican Teenager Developing an App to Help the Deaf Community

Estrella Salazar, a 17-year-old science genius from Nezahualcoyotl, Mexico has been developing an app to help deaf and hard-of-hearing Mexicans communicate more easily. The motivation for Estrella to create the application is by her older sister Perla who was born with a rare disorder that affects the nervous system, mobility, and hearing called MERRF syndrome. Inspired by the tribulations and discrimination experienced by her sister Perla. Estrella started developing an application to connect Mexican Sign Language (MSL) speakers with hearing users, allowing users to communicate amongst each other by shifting between sign language to text or voice. The application is called “Hands with a voice”, the app is expected to launch in 2022. 

There are an estimated 4.6 million Mexicans that are deaf or hard-of-hearing, according to Mexico’s statistics agency. Moreover, 2.4 million of deaf Mexicans are under the age 14, according to the National Survey of Demographic Dynamics in 2014. In addition to the myriad of deaf and hard-of-hearing in Mexico, there is also a chronic shortage of certified MSL interpreters. Thus, Estrella’s application will assuredly aid a crucial demand. 

In addition to developing an app and starting her university studies at 16 in biotechnology engineering at highly world ranked the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). Recently, Estrella is a participant in the International Air Space Program 2022, an educational program that will take place in NASA facilities. If you are not impressed yet, Estrella also graduated high school three years early and at the age of 14, she became one of the youngest people to receive training in the laboratory of the Department of Genomic Medicine and Environmental Toxicology of the Biomedical Research Institute of UNAM. 

It is undeniable that Estrella Salazar is looking to change the world. Estrella even told Reuters that she is on the hunt for a U.S university that will allow her to continue her investigation on the neurological impacts of COVID-19 both during active infection and after illness. Needless to say, we are on the lookout for Estrella and the many impacts she will leave humanity.