Google has launched two new assistance applications to aid people with levels of hearing impairment. Most of the apps and its technology what we observe are geared up for the people with no impairment. But the present day technology is par excellent where it can use to make life more comfortable for the people with impairments, helping them to show how ordinary people live their every day life.
With the launch of the two hearing assistance by Google, it aims to help deaf and hard-of-hearing people to have regular social interactions with others.
Core Functionality of the apps
Live Transcribe and Sound Amplifier are the two assistance apps for Android that are designed. These apps are currently tested on Google’s Play Store, and for Pixel 3 users it will be updated later.
Live Transcribe
Google had successfully developed Automatic Speech Recognition(ASR), and people are widely using it. The increase in sophisticated technology learning leads to the development of Live Transcribe for various levels of hearing impairment people.
Live Transcribe is a live transcription tool that helps deaf people to make conversations more accessible. The app takes the real-world speech via the phone’s microphone and transmutes into the captions.
The tool is available in over 70 languages and dialects. It also enables two-way conversation in the form of a type-back keyboard for users who cannot speak and connects with external microphones to enhance the transcription accuracy. To use the app user need to enable it in the Accessibility Settings, and start Live Transcribe which is present on the navigation bar.
The application has been developed with the assistance from Gallaudet University which is the world’s only university developed for the needs of deaf and partial hearing people.
Sound Amplifier
Sound Amplifier is the second assistance launched by Google. It was announced in Google I/O 2018. The application is for people who have partial hearing loss. One can customize sound enhancement and can also apply noise reduction to lower the distracting background noise. The app works by increasing quiet sounds and not over boosts loud sounds. For this application, a user can use only with wired headphones.
