(Left to right) Iris Sofea, Ungkak, Jacob, Domica and Nur Alesya Felix are the brains behind the Sign & Tell initiative.
IT took five creative minds to spark a movement encouraging more students to learn sign language and connect with their hearing-impaired peers.
The initiative, called Sign & Tell, was developed by students from Keningau Vocational College (KVC) in Sabah.
Their efforts have earned them national and international recognition for promoting inclusivity through communication.
Led by Rosselina Senora Ungkak, the team – comprising Iris Sofea Irfin, Daffeny Jeanne Domica, Victoria Urai Jacob, and Nur Alesya Felix Mohd Fahmey – created the project to bridge the communication gap between hearing and hearing-impaired students at their college.
KVC is home to more than 1,000 students and 200 staff, including about 30 hearing-impaired learners. Yet, only a handful of teachers are fluent in sign language, making communication a daily challenge.
Recognising this, the students designed Sign & Tell to empower their peers to be more inclusive – not just through awareness, but through action.
Through a series of interactive classes, games and competitions, the team taught basic sign language to both students and staff.
They also collaborated with hearing-impaired students to guide them on and demonstrate signs, fostering an environment that celebrates equal communication.
“Being able to communicate is a form of respect. We wanted to show that inclusivity isn’t just about awareness – it’s about learning the skills to make everyone feel understood and valued,” said Ungkak.
The project, launched in July 2025, has gained remarkable traction within the college community. It received an RM800 grant under the 2025 Social Project Challenge (SPC) organised by myHarapan and sponsored by Yayasan Telekom Malaysia.
At the SPC finals held in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, at the end of last month, KVC’s Sign & Tell team emerged runner-up, earning an RM2,000 prize.
The students now plan to use the funds to expand their project by offering more classes for staff and contract workers.
They also hope to develop a sign language module that incorporates indigenous languages such as Dusun and Bajau, reflecting Sabah’s cultural diversity.
Their work has even caught international attention – Sign & Tell was named the September 2025 SENIA World Changer Award recipient by the Special Education Network and Inclusion Association (SENIA) for its contribution to fostering inclusion and communication in education.
College director Lumang Lang praised the students for their commitment, saying the initiative sets “a strong example of leadership and compassion that could inspire more schools to follow”.
Meanwhile, All Saints Secondary School Kota Kinabalu brought further pride to Sabah by clinching the championship title at the same competition with their project, Mini H2O Water Purifier.
Developed by Form Five students Boy Foo E Nang @ Jacob, Mirza Abreshyam Latif, Ryan Adriel, Wesley Vijay, and Joshua Robin, the project used natural and recycled materials to produce clean water for rural communities.
The two teams, who met at the SPC finale, believe that together – as young Sabahan innovators – they have proven that meaningful change begins with empathy, teamwork and the determination to make a difference.
