Masks are now compulsory in many public settings

Transcription app to support with lip reading

As a Sensory Service, we have been made aware of individuals who are experiencing increasing difficulties, including when conversing with their GPs, hospital and care staff, and the impact of this loss of communication can, at best be frustrating, and at worst be dangerous.

After looking into a range of solutions, we have discovered the app, Live Transcribe, which is available on both Android and Apple and can be downloaded directly onto your mobile phone to transcribe speech to text.

This gives individuals control over their own communication and doesn’t rely on the other person making an adjustment other than speaking within range of the phone so the microphone can pick up their voice. We have tested it, and have found it to be efficient, even when users are wearing a facemask and 2 meters apart.

Due to the increased usage of facemasks during Covid-19, people who are hard of hearing or Deaf have been unable to rely on lip-reading as a form of communication.