Assistive technology helps deaf people make telephone calls
TalkByText Home Edition, software developed by charity RNID, is set to revolutionise the way people communicate with friends and loved ones by providing real-time text conversation.
The software was developed by the UK’s largest hearing health charity to overcome problems previously encountered with communication solutions for deaf and hard of hearing people and has a diverse range of applications from keeping in touch with friends and family abroad to those who do not have access to a phone.
RNID’s new TalkByText Home Edition software offers users character-by-character real-time text, essential for proper conversation and for people with a hearing loss making calls via a text relay service to hearing people’s voice phones.
TalkByText is a software-only solution that can be installed on home PCs, allowing quick and easy conversation with other PCs, textphone users, or voice phones without the need for any additional, costly equipment.
Guido Gybels, Director of Technology at RNID said: "Few things are more important to us than the ability to communicate. While the rest of society has moved on and uses modern telephone technology such as mobile phones and the Internet, deaf people have been overlooked as mainstream markets have failed to modernise textphone technology.
"TalkByText Home Edition is a massive leap forwards - exploiting state-of-the-art Internet technology to make a real difference to real people’s ability to communicate effectively any time, any place. It gives deaf and hearing people a simple to use, modern solution that allows them to communicate with anyone else over the telephone, providing a user friendly, unique way to stay in touch."
Find out more and download the software here.
Comments
As far as technology helping our lives become easier, you have to check this out! There is a VIDEO PHONE with a 7" screen on it that you can use to call and SIGN or LIP READ with your friends! This is amazing and you've got to check it out for your self.
Here is a link to 2 videos that shows what it can do:
http://acnsherman.acnrep.com/v.asp?I=121C446D5F0A
http://www.acnsherman.acnrep.com/d_products_digitalphone.asp?CO_LA=US_EN&BW=
If you have any questions, please contact me and I'll be more than happy to assist. I know how special this opportunity is to a lot of people. :)
Posted by: Aaron Sherman | March 13, 2009 01:57 PM
I am living in Luxembourg and have an American neighbor who lost his hearing 10 years ago but has good eyesight and speaking skills. On the TV program Sue Thomas FYEye I see use of a phone that translates voice conversations to text which is displayed on the phone. The user would have the ability to respond orally or return a text message. Can you advise on latest possibilities in this area. Thanks
Posted by: John Fletcher | July 12, 2009 06:01 PM