Baku: bp, in collaboration with its co-venturers in the Azeri-Chirag-Gunashli, Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan, Shah Deniz, and South Caucasus Pipeline projects, has announced the successful completion of a social investment initiative aimed at promoting inclusivity through enhanced communication for individuals with hearing and speech impairments. The co-venturers include SOCAR, TPAO, LUKOIL, SGC, NICO, MOL, INPEX, ExxonMobil, ITOCHU, ONGC Videsh, Eni, MVM, and TotalEnergies.
According to Azerbaijan State News Agency, the project was implemented in collaboration with Nar and ADA University, reflecting bp’s and its partners’ ongoing commitment to fostering an inclusive society and supporting educational development in Azerbaijan. The focus of the initiative was the development of a mobile application designed as an accessible and interactive platform for learning Azerbaijani sign language. The application offers structured lessons, interactive exercises, quizzes, and assessments to ensure comprehensive language acquisition.
The application includes 789 ready-to-use videos, 358 sign language words, and 27 illustrative images, developed specifically to ensure an engaging and effective learning experience. This content helps users build their sign language vocabulary and practice communication scenarios through visual and interactive tools. The application will be available for download on major app platforms.
During the event at ADA University celebrating the project’s completion, Bakhtiyar Aslanbayli, bp’s vice president for the Caspian region, emphasized the importance of communication for true inclusivity. He stated that the project’s goal is to create opportunities for understanding, empathy, and connection, providing everyone with suitable tools to feel like full members of society.
The project was completed over 12 months, with bp and its co-venturers contributing around 117,000 AZN ($68,824). This funding covered data collection, consultations with sign language experts, design, development, and testing of the application, as well as its deployment and hosting services. The project was implemented by ADA University and the ADA University Foundation.