Even Real-time Captioning App Users Having Difficulty Communicating as a Result of Social Distancing
For the 37 million Americans who experience hearing loss, COVID-19 and national social distancing measures have created a new set of challenges, according to a new survey released today by InnoCaption, a mobile app-based provider of real-time captioning for phone calls.
The survey found that whether it’s healthcare needs, connecting with friends or family, or continuing with day-to-day remote job responsibilities, all ages of the deaf and hard of hearing community are uniquely feeling the impact of these global changes. The community agrees that the biggest obstacle faced during the current COVID-19 pandemic situation has been communication difficulties due to social distancing and the use of masks. The survey also confirms that those with hearing loss are utilizing real-time phone call captioning technology to help them effectively do their jobs, touching on the challenges of increased remote conferences and video calls.The company surveyed more than 840 respondents online from the hard of hearing community from May 22, 2020 to June 10, 2020 during the first difficult phase of the coronavirus pandemic. Additionally, InnoCaption conducted a poll of its community via its FaceBook page with regards to the impact of masks. The poll was conducted from June 30, 2020 to July 7, 2020 and surveyed 64 respondents. Findings from both are captured within the survey results.Highlights from the survey include:
“When COVID-19 hit, no one could predict the impact it would have on our lives, however, for those with hearing loss like myself, the impact has created an even larger set of challenges for day-to-day activities,” said Joe Duarte, Co-CEO of InnoCaption. “Our users represent a community who has been forgotten as the use of masks and virtual conversations has become widely used. This survey shows that while technology such as real-time phone call captioning can help bridge that gap, there is still much work to be done as a society to create accessibility and inclusiveness for all.”
The deaf and hard of hearing have long struggled to make and receive cell phone calls with confidence. The need for technology to assist with virtual communication has grown over time and most recently became a necessity as a result of the pandemic. Users of InnoCaption are able to choose between live stenographers or automated speech recognition (ASR) for all of their real-time phone call captioning needs, whether at home, at work, or in emergencies. InnoCaption is the first mobile app to provide real-time captioning of smartphone calls to the deaf and hard of hearing at no cost primarily through stenographers. The company also recently launched DeskView, a new feature that enables users to view captions via the desktop, making conference calls more accessible and eliminating the need to toggle between screens.
For a more comprehensive view of the survey data, please see the full report and infographic here.
InnoCaption is the only FCC-certified caption phone service to offer real-time captioning of incoming and outgoing calls on smartphones through stenographers. InnoCaption also provides the option for captioning through best-in-class automated speech recognition (ASR) technology when users prefer not to have a live assistant during calls. Users can easily make and receive captioned calls through the InnoCaption mobile app, which is available on both iOS and Android phones and tablets. This captioning service is provided free-of-charge to people whose hearing loss makes it hard to understand phone calls.
InnoCaption is committed to offering the best telecommunications accessibility solution to the deaf and hard of hearing community. The leadership team behind InnoCaption has always focused on putting the accessibility needs of users first and foremost, enabling them to drive innovation since launching the InnoCaption App in 2016.
Jessica Shapow P: (703) 390-1516E: shapow@merrittgrp.com
InnoCaption provides real-time captioning technology making phone calls easy and accessible for the deaf and hard of hearing community. Offered at no cost to individuals with hearing loss because we are certified by the FCC. InnoCaption is the only mobile app that offers real-time captioning of phone calls through live stenographers and automated speech recognition software. The choice is yours.
InnoCaption proporciona tecnología de subtitulado en tiempo real que hace que las llamadas telefónicas sean fáciles y accesibles para la comunidad de personas sordas y con problemas de audición. Se ofrece sin coste alguno para las personas con pérdida auditiva porque estamos certificados por la FCC. InnoCaption es la única aplicación móvil que ofrece subtitulación en tiempo real de llamadas telefónicas mediante taquígrafos en directo y software de reconocimiento automático del habla. Usted elige.