Integrating Voice to Text recognition into a telephone conversation and answering system for the hearing impaired
'Teletype' and other similar means of communications have already proved themselves vital from a deaf person's point of view. These systems do, however, present one major problem i.e. that all people wishing to contact a deaf person on such a machine must posess one themselves. This makes such a means of communication awkward and expensive, both for the deaf AND those they wish to call, whether it be someone they call regularly (for which the ca. 500 euro sum may not seem excessive) or someone that contacts them once in a while (friends, dentists...).
The use of voice to text recognition with telephones is an application of computer technology that would enable deaf people to contact (or be contacted by) almost anyone. The basic principle is that a person would speak down the phone line, the message would be passed into a PC at the deaf person's end and the words (via some form of voice to text recognition) would be printed out on the deaf person's screen.
In this situation ONLY the deaf person would need the appropriate equipment which, despite being more expensive than the current solution, will enable those with such a disability to communicate effectively with almost anyone, from any ordinary phone.