HandsIn turns ASL lessons into practice with feedback
HandsIn combines short American Sign Language lessons with automated feedback so learners can practice signing independently. Its courses feature Deaf teachers, while a partnership with sign-language data company CLERC supplies material for recognition. That pairing addresses a particular gap between watching a sign and trying it yourself: a learner can attempt a sign and receive feedback without waiting for another class. HandsIn positions the product as foundational practice alongside human learning, not a substitute for it.
A lesson that asks learners to sign
HandsIn lists three introductory tracks covering greetings, fingerspelling and identity, and questions about other people. The lessons are presented as five minutes each, giving learners a small unit of practice rather than requiring a full class session.
The company says co-founder Grace Janusz began learning ASL with her mother as her mother lost hearing. After their free library class ended, the experience informed the search for an accessible way to practice signing. Janusz leads product and technical development; co-founder Marlena Leuz leads business strategy and partnerships.
Teaching material and recognition data
CLERC says HandsIn's lesson videos feature Deaf native signers with teaching experience, and use recall and repetition to encourage active practice. HandsIn also incorporates Deaf culture and history into the learning experience.
In October 2026, CLERC said HandsIn's recognition was trained on its sign-language corpus, recorded with paid, consenting native Deaf signers. HandsIn separately says its recognition is evaluated on CLERC data. The two descriptions identify different uses of the data and do not disclose the full technical arrangement.