Even before the current war on terrorism, security checks at airports and in other places were often a problem for deaf people, who can't hear the buzz of metal detectors or the commands of security guards. Many deaf people are not fluent in English, so posted signs aren't always helpful. Using sign-language interpreters at every security station is not the answer, either, because of the cost and limited availability of trained personnel. In the near future, "Paula" could provide a solution to this communication barrier, as well as many others. Paula is a computer-generated synthetic interpreter developed by a team of faculty and students in the School of Computer Science, Telecommunications and Information Systems at DePaul University in Chicago.