7 Handy Apps For Those With Hearing Loss
Technology has come so far already, and it just keeps on getting better. For those who are deaf or who have hearing loss, smartphone hearing aids can improve sound quality, and connect to many different devices. Whether it’s the TV, the doorbell or the oven timer, life is a whole lot easier when your sound sources are connected. Besides this, there are several applications available that can offer support for those with hearing loss.
AVA
Lip reading can sometimes be difficult in a group setting, and AVA was created as a solution to this problem. An individual who is deaf or has hearing loss can get their group of friends to connect to the AVA app. Now, the person with hearing loss can view live transcriptions of the convo. The app picks up the speech using the phone's mic and displays the words next to the person's name.
Subtitle Viewer
The Subtitle Viewer app allows the user to view subtitles in different languages, using their phone. The app shows the captions in real-time and highlights the passage in the text. This application can be synced with both television shows or movies at the cinema. The subtitles used are downloaded from an extensive database, submitted by volunteers. It can take a little time for subtitles to be available after the release of specific movies. This app is very popular among those who are learning a foreign language, as well as the deaf and hard of hearing community.
Google Live Transcribe
Google's Live Transcribe App uses ASR tech to provide transcriptions of speech to text in real-time. The speech is picked up by a mic and then communicated to the screen using wifi. It's convenient for those who are hard of hearing to use at seminars or conferences. The technology is available in over 70 different languages, and the words simply appear on the phone screen in real-time.
Sound Amplifier
The Sound Amplifier app works to enhance audio quality, particularly with the use of headphones. The idea is to offer a more natural and comfortable listening experience. The app works to improve and amplify real-world sounds and is particularly useful in a poor sound environment. Those who are accustomed to fiddling around with hearing aid settings understand how challenging certain environments can be. With the Sound Amplifier app, background noise is eliminated. The volume adjustments are straightforward and easy to use.
Rogervoice
The Rogervoice app offers live transcription for phone calls. It's completely free, and it's the most reliable and fast app for call captioning. The app relies on speech synthesis and automatic speech recognition. You simply call anyone and read the transcribed call straight from your smartphone. You can reply by typing or with your voice. Some of the other features of the Rogervoice app include transcription history and call log, text-to-speech, contact syncing, free calls, interactive dial-tone navigation and saved preferences.
TapTap
TapTap is an app that can alert you to the sounds nearby; the phone will flash or vibrate to catch your attention. You can adjust the sensitivity of the app, whether you are in a quieter or more noisy place. Users can set the amount of vibrations delivered by the app, or put the app into sleep mode when they do not require its use. At times, your hearing aid may not help you with a certain sound source for whatever reason. It’s in these instances that TapTap can come in handy.
Braci
Braci is a sound-recognition app which works by analyzing sounds and then converting these sounds into alerts that you can feel or see. Braci has a wide range of detectable sounds, and you'll receive a notification on your phone to alert you. Examples include, the doorbell ringing or the smoke alarm going off. The Braci app can be used anywhere in the world, and can pick up gas alarms, including carbon monoxide as these are all pre-programmed within the app. Using Braci, you don't have to worry about missing those important sounds. Whether you’re far away from the sound source or were not paying attention, Braci can help notify you.
It's worth keeping up to date on the latest in hearing aid technology as well as trying out these different apps. It may be that there's a new device that can support your particular hearing condition. When it comes to taking care of your hearing health, it’s useful to keep up with the latest in hearing-tech.
