Advancements in technology has helped the deaf and hard of hearing in a number of ways. From hearing aid technology, medical procedures, all the way down to the fact that deaf and hard of hearing certification programs are available through online schooling now, it is becoming more convenient to help and reach out to the hard of hearing.
Although it may seem absurd, smartphones have a tremendous ability to make life easier for the hearing impaired. There are now a number of apps available for deaf people and those who are hard of hearing. These apps do everything from amplifying sound to transcribing phone calls and saving them for you. Here is our collection of the best apps for the hard of hearing and deaf people.
Top 10 Apps for the Hard of Hearing and Deaf People
Hamilton Captel
This useful app transcribes phone calls in real time. Using it, you can read what’s being said in real time from your iPhone or iPad. Plus, you can save up to 20 calls to refer back to. Use it with your iPhone or iPad so you’ll never miss what someone’s saying when they talk to you by phone.
HearYouNow
The HearYouNow app is a free amplification tool that helps you better understand conversations in situations where you like to hear sounds more clearly such as when you’re in a restaurant, when you’re watching TV or at a party. The app’s main features include state of the art ExSilent filtering and amplification techniques for high quality performance, customizable per-ear volume adjustment, 3 frequency bands, Near/Far focus, and 20-second replay of conversations.
BioAid
BioAid is a research hearing aid designed by scientists to improve the clarity of sound and regulate the loudness of surrounding environmental noise. It processes sound from the microphone and then plays it back over headphones in real time.The app is highly customizable letting you choose from a variety of different settings to find one that best suits you. You also have complete control over the overall sound level with options to reject various background noise levels.
Sign 4 Me – A Signed English Translator
Want to learn sign language to better communicate with a friend or a co-worker who is Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing? Sign 4 Me can help. Type in a word or short sentence, and a virtual signer signs it for you. You can even slow down the speed and view signing in three dimensions to make it easier to learn the movements. This comprehensive sign language app includes more than 11,500 words. It makes learning to sign easy and convenient.
Siemens Hearing Test
Want to test your hearing? This app measures your hearing by testing how accurately you can distinguish words against background noise. There are nine tests available for each ear. Once you complete the tests, compare your score against the average to estimate your degree of hearing impairment. It’s not a substitute for audiology testing by a professional, but it helps you see if your hearing is changing over time, and you can do it anytime.
Tap Tap
There are certain sounds you don’t want to miss – a fire alarm, thunder, a gunshot or the sound of someone screaming to warn you of impending danger. That’s where Tap Tap comes in. This app alerts you when there’s a loud noise. It does this by sending an alert message to your screen and by vibrating. If you’re in a busy place, you can adjust the sensitivity so it responds only to loud noises or increase the sensitivity so it picks up even minor sounds when you’re in a quiet room. This app keeps you safer.
Let Me Hear Again Pro
This app offers powerful tools such as the Full Screen Speech to Text chat tool and Auto Speech Recognition mode to help people who are deaf communicate better. It can identify conversations in 71 languages, offer live translation in 41 languages and displays the words on screen in the native language itself. It also has a TalkBack feature that speaks out words typed in by the user.
The app can also capture and save speeches and long conversations, which will come in handy when you need to look back on the notes or translate it to another language.The app also includes an alarm that can produce a sound loud enough to wake up the deaf and a Guradian Angel tool that can alert a deaf person and save them in times of danger.
Download Let Me Hear Again Pro (for Android)
Live Caption
This app listens to spoken words and translates into text in real time. It is ideal for using in direct conversations and is not designed for use with incoming phone calls. It is extremely easy to use and works with third party keyboard apps and most Bluetooth voice input devices. Plus you can use it even without an Internet connection.
Download Live Caption for Android
Pedius
Pedius is another communication system that allows deaf people to make phone calls by either typing or speaking a message. The message will be sent either in your own voice or via an automated voice using speech synthesis. The recipient will listen to the message and reply, and this reply will appear as a transcription on the screen.
Braci
The last on our list of the top apps for the hard of hearing is Braci. This app lets you record the sounds in your environment to alert you in case of any emergency such as when an alarm goes off or in other situations such as when a doorbell rings. This is ideal for deaf people as they can be alerted to events even if they are unable to see or hear anything. Braci can also be connected to the Pebble Watch to get instant notifications and alerts.
The Bottom Line
Life for the deaf and hard of hearing is a little more convenient these days. Make your life a little easier wherever you go with these top apps for the deaf.
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