22, October 2014: The ‘Let Me Hear Again‘ android app comes in handy, especially when it is difficult for the Deaf to communicate with the non-Deaf individuals who do not know Sign language. For its innovative features, it has bagged the prestigious App Inventor – ‘App of the Month’ award from MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) in US, for the month of August.
Let Me Hear Again comprise of 5 Tools that are of use at various levels for the Deaf. ‘Face to Face Chat’ tool helps the Deaf to communicate easily with those who can hear and recognize conversations in 71 languages with display of words on the Phone screen in the native tongue. It has a facility for live translation of these captured words to 41 languages. It features the Talk-back function-when words are typed, phone will speak it out aloud. ‘Virtual Notes’ tool instantly converts long speeches into editable Notes and are saved in Phone memory. This tool can improve the productivity and can be used in class rooms and offices to take Notes, to make lists, to jot down key points in group discussions/meetings. The notes can be shared via social media.
Deaf persons can make and receive Phone calls using the ‘Call Companion’ tool, using the normal Android smart phones. All they need to do is to connect the phone to an external loud speaker while making the call and the voice from other end is immediately captioned as words on screen. The talk-back feature allows the Deaf person to reply back; by simply typing the words and the Phone will talk it out loud to the person on the other end. ‘Quake Awake’ tool is an exclusive alarm Clock for the Deaf with strong vibration and very loud sound above 100dB.The Phone can be placed inside the pillow, after setting the alarm and the combination of vibration and loud sound will help the Deaf to wake up from sleep. ‘Guardian Angel’ tool offers safety and security to the Deaf by alerting them about the loud words nearby. It is like a personal watchdog and will check for loud sounds in the surroundings at set intervals. It is meant to alert the Deaf during dangerous situations.
Many associations for the Deaf across the globe have expressed interest and support for the app, including the World Federation of the Deaf (WFD), Association of Late-Deafened Adults (ALDA), British Deaf Association (BDA), Deaf Aotearoa-New Zealand and Singapore
Association for the Deaf.
The ‘Let Me Hear Again‘ app can be downloaded from Google Play Store for $4. The app supports all the major Android smart Phones and Tablets.
