5 Best Apps for People with Hearing Loss
Statistics from the World Health
Organization illustrate that nearly 5% of the world’s population suffers from
some hearing disability. This can range from complete hearing loss to
partial hearing loss. A projection shows that over 700 million people will
suffer from hearing loss in 2050.
However, with the gradual
progress in technology, several communication apps have been developed to assist with this. Deaf People
can use these apps to communicate with others without much hassle.
So, if you or someone you know has
partial or complete hearing
loss, you can get these apps for them:
1.
Google Live Transcribe
Transcribing apps are great for
people who are deaf or have hearing loss, and Google Live Transcribe is an excellent example. As a transcription app, it listens to what the audience is speaking in real time, translates it as text, and shows it to the user.
For instance, a Deaf user may
head to a convention or a live show and can turn on the Google Live Transcribe
app. Listening to the person speaking, the app can transcribe and display the text for the user to
understand.
The only problem is that it may
add noise to the transcription i.e. someone might be laughing or talking and it
would be added to the text too. However, it’s great for conferences and
lectures.
2.
Ava
Another live transcription app,
Ava is a great choice for the Deaf to communicate easily with their peers. This app works
similarly to Google Live Transcribe, allowing the Deaf to get their vocal communication transcribed into text.
However, the thing that makes Ava
great is that it allows users to add more people to the app and get live
transcriptions whenever they speak. They can scan QR codes to add other people,
create their profile, and show it on the app.
Whenever that person speaks, the
app transcribes their voice. Although Ava requires the speaker to be close to
the phone (nearly 12 inches), using a Bluetooth microphone can help resolve
this problem.
In addition, acquiring on-the-go
Wi-Fi to connect the app and add more users is important. For that, we
recommend going for internet providers that have a great network of Wi-Fi
hotspots nationwide i.e. Spectrum Internet
for instance.
3.
Rogervoice
One major issue that the Deaf face is during
calls. The Rogervoice app solves this problem by providing live transcription
for calls. This app uses automatic speech recognition and transcribes what the other
person is speaking on the phone.
For instance, if someone is
calling, the Deaf
can run the app (or keep it running in the background as it uses little
resources). All the user needs to do is look at the captions on-screen and
answer them accordingly.
Another great element is that
with its speech recognition ability, it allows the users to get accurate
voice-to-speech transcriptions.
This minimizes the noise that can be converted into transcripts.
Plus, the app keeps track of
transcripts, allowing the user to set reminders or read past conversations to
know what was discussed.
4.
Voxsci
Offering a similar workability,
Voxsci allows users to transcribe
voice mails into text. The app also sends emails or texts to the users
for them to read. The amazing element is that this app can be integrated for
various uses.
For personal usage, it can be
integrated with voice mail and by adding an option for email/ text messages,
the users can get their voicemails effectively.
For professional usage, Voxsci
can be integrated with office phones, emails, or even call centers. The app
will transcribe and send the text to the relevant receiving mode.
In addition, Voxsci allows users
to receive transcriptions in the form of APIs. However, for that, the users
must allow Voxsci to access the input files so that they can prepare the API
for their usage.
Furthermore, Voxsci also offers
to prepare structured data from the transcriptions via Voxsci Analytics. This
function converts the unstructured data in the form of text into useful
layouts, which can be used for reporting later.
5.
Braci Sound Alert
While we’re talking about
communication apps for the Deaf,
we can’t leave Braci Sound Alert out. This innovative app allows the hearing impaired to get
alerts on their smartphones or wearables.
The amazing thing is that the app
is designed in a manner that it’s able to recognize sounds in the environment
with precision. For instance, a doorbell ringing will generate an alert,
displaying a text or visual of a doorbell ringing.
The users can install the app and
integrate it with their smartphone, wearables, or other portable smart devices
to get alerts without any hassle.
With the technology advancing,
we’re looking at some pretty amazing apps to help the Deaf and these apps are the perfect
example. So, if you or someone you know is partial or completely deaf, boost their confidence
and help them enjoy life without hurdles with these apps.