How Stray Sheep uses ElevenLabs to make Bulgaria more accessible for Deaf people

Stray Sheep is a Bulgarian social enterprise making society more accessible for Deaf people. Bulgaria is home to an estimated 120,000 people with hearing loss and, by the founders' count, only 10 to 15 active sign language interpreters. Stray Sheep works on both sides of that gap: it has taught Bulgarian Sign Language to more than 1,500 people, interprets at public events, and produces media that Deaf and hearing audiences can experience together.

Through our Impact Program, we power the spoken narration in their the sign language lessons and awareness films that help Deaf Bulgarians be understood in everyday life.

Teaching Bulgaria to sign

Bulgaria recognized Bulgarian Sign Language as an official language in 2021, but recognition alone is the first step towards improving accessibility and inclusion of deaf people. Due to a low percentage of people overall being able to sign, most Deaf Bulgarians still cannot count on being understood in daily life. Stray Sheep's answer is to change that, teaching far more people to sign. Its courses are led by Deaf lecturers, and its corporate programs have brought sign language into some of Bulgaria's biggest consumer brands, including the insurer Allianz, the telecom Yettel, and the bank Postbank, so Deaf customers can be served in their own language. The team also interprets for deaf audiences at large events, most recently at Iron Maiden's concert in Sofia this May.

How they use ElevenLabs

Stray Sheep's videos are built in layers: sign language on screen, subtitles beneath it, and spoken narration over the top. A Deaf viewer and a hearing viewer watch the same video and take away the same story.

The narration is generated with ElevenLabs Text to Speech, and it now runs through the team's educational videos, awareness campaigns, documentaries, and training materials. The team is also generating narration in other languages from the same scripts, carrying its work beyond Bulgaria.

"ElevenLabs helps us, a small team with ambitious goals, create professional-quality audio without the cost and logistical challenges of traditional voice production," said Alex Kalinov, co-founder of Stray Sheep.

What's next

Stray Sheep is expanding its digital sign language education platform, aiming to reach tens of thousands of learners. It also plans to create more accessible videos for businesses and public institutions, and is preparing to take its work beyond Bulgaria with new learning experiences that pair sign language with AI.

Deaf audiences are one of many communities the media routinely overlooks. AI tools like ours make fully accessible production affordable for the small teams who serve them, so more people get media built for their needs.

Apply to the ElevenLabs Impact Program

Through the ElevenLabs Impact Program, we help nonprofits reach more people with AI audio as part of our goal to help one million people communicate, learn, and create without barriers. If your organization works in healthcare, education, or culture, we encourage you to apply.

You can explore more of Stray Sheep's work on its website.