How about an Apps for Deaf people for smart phone!

Mikefromlondon

Mikefromlondon

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hey guys, my wife has had a couple of serious infections in both her ears, and lost much of her hearing ability, I cannot communicate with her without having to shout at her each time, she cannot wear a hearing aid due to damage in her ears, but has worn special glasses with a hearing aid that transmits signals through her ear bone, I cannot whisper in her ears, and cannot tell her how much i love her without my neighbours over hearing me!

So what does that mean, it means either we both learn a sign language, which is now impossible me, my brain has no more room to learn a new skill! but she can lip read me to some extent, but this is no good when i am facing away from her.

I stay quiet most of the time as I found it was futile having a conversation with her, I just couldn't hold any decent discussion with her, and found very frustrating when she hears me wrong! each time having to shout louder and louder at her, makes me exhaust! so I much rather stay silent! we both feel very isolated!

many times I have got locked outside, with my house keys inside, and she wouldn't hear the door bell! and I am left stranded outside for hours!

But to divorce her after 30 years of marriage just because of she has gone deaf, is not only morally wrong but is absolutely ****in mean for any decent person!

Recently that sign language interpreter who was seen at Nelson Mandela's Memorial service and stood next to so many prominent leaders and was seen waving his hands about randomly and appear to be making more salutes than interpreting ! lol


So is it not time that now we live in 21st century computer and smart phone revolution, that someone can now come up with a new App for our smart phone that can hears for deaf people and converts the speech into text on their app phone!

so I can now claim on this brilliant idea and all I ask is 5% share of royalties and you can have 95% and get this off the ground asap and it will not only help me and my wife but millions of other deaf people.

so get on the case, start writing a small software to allow any smart phone to turn speech into text, each time a new sentence is heard, the iphone vibrates, thus alerting the deaf person to look at the screen for a new message.

now I know, there are softwares that are available for computers which recognises speech, infact my first laptop computer i bought in 1995 came with a speech recognition software, it did not work very well, and needed training.

Even if the speech was not converted accurately, it could still give a deaf person some keywords to get by.
 
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2 Android phones with S voice?

Speak the message which then gets converted to text and sent to the other's phone?

But before you do this, have you been to a specialist?

Mike, I have severe HF losses and wear aids in both ears. I also lipread, but I appreciate it only goes so far.

And, as Mrs Secure lives with me, I know she gets frustrated having me ask her to:

"look at me, I can't hear you!"

all the time.

I know what I would do. Make an appointment with your GP where you both attend. Tell him that this problem is putting your relationship under serious stress and that you need help before something gives.

Explain that you have great difficulty communicating and you are at a loss to know what to do next and are considering throwing in the towel.

Ask him for a referral to a specialist in audiology who can assess Mrs MfL for suitability for bone conduction hearing aids.

It's got to be worth a try matey.
 
securespark, we have not spared all avenues, including initially when they operated on her ears at London ENT hospital, she can hear about 10%, in other words she can use bone conduction hearing aid that i purchased for her at a cost of well over 2 grand twice in the last 15 years, (Scrivens) only snag is it has too much acoustic feedback and starts to whistle! she can't use insert type aids, and her bone conduction glasses cost a fortune and break down more times than I can count.

I have bought her devices such as microphone TV amplifier, which is used by hard hearing people to listen to TV at low volume without disturbing your neighbours.

It only struck me the other day when we heard on the news about that fake sign language interpreter, and that gave me the idea how we could use smart phones using apps, which converts ordinary spoken sounds into text, without using the text messaging services, one should just click on sound icon and start using it and person who speaks nearby the smart phone can have his sound converted to text and displayed. This could solve some of the problems deaf people face through isolation.
 
Mikefromlondon said:
So what does that mean, it means either we both learn a sign language, which is now impossible me, my brain has no more room to learn a new skill! but she can lip read me to some extent, but this is no good when i am facing away from her.
Click to expand...
There are plenty of help out there, get your doctor for a referral appointment to see the Hearing Therapist in the NHS Audiology department, they will have all the help you'll need and equipment's
Mikefromlondon said:
many times I have got locked outside, with my house keys inside, and she wouldn't hear the door bell! and I am left stranded outside for hours!
Click to expand...
You can get the portable vibrating doorbell receiver for in a pocket or onto a belt so the vibration which can be felt when the doorbell rings

http://www.sense.org.uk/content/alerting-systems

Mikefromlondon said:
Recently that sign language interpreter who was seen at Nelson Mandela's Memorial service and stood next to so many prominent leaders and was seen waving his hands about randomly and appear to be making more salutes than interpreting ! lol
Click to expand...
It was a fake!! http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-25330672
Mikefromlondon said:
I stay quiet most of the time as I found it was futile having a conversation with her, I just couldn't hold any decent discussion with her, and found very frustrating when she hears me wrong! each time having to shout louder and louder at her, makes me exhaust! so I much rather stay silent! we both feel very isolated!
Click to expand...
Yes I fully understand but this is only short term until you get the right help
Mikefromlondon said:
So is it not time that now we live in 21st century computer and smart phone revolution, that someone can now come up with a new App for our smart phone that can hears for deaf people and converts the speech into text on their app phone!
Click to expand...
Have a look at joining the forum at www.actiononhearingloss.org.uk also speak to them for advice and they will help you whatever you need to know including their information pack. I'm asumming you know about the subtitles on TV?
Mikefromlondon said:
when they operated on her ears at London ENT hospital, she can hear about 10%, in other words she can use bone conduction hearing aid that i purchased for her at a cost of well over 2 grand twice in the last 15 years, (Scrivens) only snag is it has too much acoustic feedback and starts to whistle! she can't use insert type aids, and her bone conduction glasses cost a fortune and break down more times than I can count.
Click to expand...
You shouldn't have to pay for this as it's mostly available on the NHS, do you have the audiogram chart so I can see the hearing loss level? When you say 10%, they don't use percentage as it's all in decibel levels, that would be in the profound deafness level, you can Check your hearing online

What type of ears operation was it?
 
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Mike, if you need to talk to your wife via the phone there is an organisation called TypeTalk. As far as I know its free to join and use so cost should be no object. However, you will need a phone that will accept text display. When my dad was alive he used this system and they came and fitted a phone with a display for him to read off. Maybe in this day and age they can now do this with a mobile.

You ring the typetalk number and they text the message, (word for word including any obscenities/foul language), to the person you wish to talk with. They read the message on their screen and if they can talk they simply talk directly back to you. When you reply the telephonist simply types what you are saying again.

Unfortunately I don't know their number off hand but I'm sure you could google it. It used to be an 0800 number. Good luck and let us know how you get on. As you say, its very frustrating but if you can find a way its well worthwhile.
 
Mike, try the NDCS website for some info and links. I am doing my BSL level 2 at the moment (I coach d/Deaf footballers) Level one is not too bad,even for those of us that are pushing on a bit and like any new language it is all about practice . BSL can look daunting at first but really as you pick up a few signs you start to fill in the gaps. Youtube and other free resources can help but there are cheap apps that support the BSL level 1 and 2.

Good luck with whatever you do.
 
Guys, thanks a million, I am really really overwhelmed by all of your kind response, and lots of useful information that you have provided.

After I posted about someone coming up with an App, that could help the deaf community, I thought rather than being greedy and keeping the idea to myself and for my selfish profit, I will publish it here, so that anyone out there can develop the App to help these hearing impaired people without an element of greed!

After I posted , I thought I and my wife would be insulted and ridiculed! with insults like Mike about time you found another wife etc etc ! (lol)
Now I know you are all decent people deep down in your heart! thanks much! ;)
 
Mikefromlondon said:
I stay quiet most of the time as I found it was futile having a conversation with her, I just couldn't hold any decent discussion with her, and found very frustrating when she hears me wrong! each time having to shout louder and louder at her, makes me exhaust!
Click to expand...

She's not deaf.
Just fed up with you. :LOL:
 
funnily, since I can't seem to hold any sensible discussion with my wife, because she don't hear me well enough, so most of her replies are off topic!
e.g. ask her whet did she cook tonight and she might reply : I am not going anywhere tonight! or if i asked her is she going to the bathroom, and she may reply : No I didn't buy any any bananas!

So even when she speaks to me or is trying to tell me somthing, I know there is very little point in holding any extensive conversation on the subject as she won't understand fully well what i am saying, so my answers are very brief, mostly yes or no, so I have now developed total immunity against her voice, when she is speaking to me I totally ignore what she is saying, as listening to her is irrelevant, since I am not going to answer her, I think this is proof of evolution! :LOL:


She can hear from a foot away, as she is not totally deaf, but I am not always sitting right next to her, and she can hear normal telephone but does have some problem in identifying the caller, once she is into conversation, she only needs to hear the key words and she can tell what is being said.
 
Mike

You don't need to whisper in her ear that you love her as I'm sure she already knows it.

As for locking yourself out - hang your keys round your neck on a piece of string :LOL:
 
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