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Can man change the world without knowing it? A high school student’s creation says yes, it can.

The Good Man Project
May 27, 2016

by Erin Kelly

“Mach is a fantastic example of what can happen when young people have access to technology, are able to develop their skills, and are free to create the things they wish to see in the world.”

These are the words of Upworthy.com contributor Melinda Clark, describing 17-year-old Mateusz Mach. At first glance, I, like many, thought he was your average high school student who likes to tinker with ideas. Ideas and passion are what drives mankind to move mountains after all, right?

That observation would be correct–but when Mach decided to put one of his “simple and fun” ideas into action, he coincidentally revolutionized  the way deaf people around the world communicate and interact with each other.

He created a smartphone app called Five, which allows deaf individuals to send and receive simple pictures of hand gestures–just as if they were using sign language in real time. He started receiving random text messages from members of the deaf community who used the app. They began thanking him for creating something that allowed them to communicate with one another freely, and in their own unique language. In May 2015, the app officially launched and has since been called “the world’s first messaging app for deaf people”–a title and accolade that Mach never saw coming.

Read more  . . See captioned Video . smartphone app called Five