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Text to speech and speech to text app, powered by Whisper or the new tech, to allow deaf or mute to use the phone. Who's going to make it?

Karunamon 3y ago
I think you might be on to something here! The biggest problem with whisper right now that kills a lot of use cases is the requirement that you send discrete audio files rather than streams. However, if you have never had a textual relay conversation, one of the conventions is that each party needs to say/type "go ahead/GA" when they are done. If you can break upon catching that phrase, that might be sufficient for whisper usage!
catchnear4321 3y ago
not long from now, when you call support, you will get to talk to the same chat bot that’s on the web page / in the app, but it is on the phone. because it can now talk and listen. with text to speech and speech to text. to ensure equal access. enjoy.
- AndrewKemendo 3y ago
  I agree, it seems like we’re headed to the everybody suffers equally instead of everybody is benefited equally Perfect example from a link from yesterday: The removed a crosswalk because it was cheaper to be in compliance by removing it than fixing it [1] Said another way, nobody…from the traffic engineer to the city counsel…cared enough about the people impacted, that they lobbied or changed the system in such a way that would help the impacted person. Their inputs were ignored or overruled. [1] https://streets.mn/2023/07/19/if-we-want-a-shift-to-walking-we-need-to-prioritize-dignity/ https://streets.mn/2023/07/19/if-we-want-a-shift-to-walking-...
InvisibleUp 3y ago
These services have already existed for decades, with government-funded interpreters. They’re known as Telecommunications Relay Services and they come in a lot of varieties for one’s specific level of disability. There are apps now that have the same service using AI transcription instead of a live interpreter, which is nice, but it’s not world-changing.
astura 3y ago
Typically people with speech or hearing difficulties use TTY relay services. https://www.nad.org/resources/technology/telephone-and-relay-services/tty-and-tty-relay-services/ https://www.nad.org/resources/technology/telephone-and-relay...
- danw1979 3y ago
  Exactly this. I remember regularly taking text-to-speech calls from a non-speaking Mac customer when I worked on tech support at an ISP back in 1998. Must have reconfigured MacPPP a dozen times before we finally got him up and running. He had the patience of a saint… In the UK Ofcom require telcos to provide such services to their customers. https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-telecoms-and-internet/advice-for-consumers/accessibility/text-relay-guide https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-telecoms-and-internet/advice... This is absolutely the right solution to the problem, instead of insisting that every single organisation have such an in-house service.

Karunamon 3y ago

I think you might be on to something here! The biggest problem with whisper right now that kills a lot of use cases is the requirement that you send discrete audio files rather than streams. However, if you have never had a textual relay conversation, one of the conventions is that each party needs to say/type "go ahead/GA" when they are done. If you can break upon catching that phrase, that might be sufficient for whisper usage!

catchnear4321 3y ago

not long from now, when you call support, you will get to talk to the same chat bot that’s on the web page / in the app, but it is on the phone. because it can now talk and listen. with text to speech and speech to text. to ensure equal access. enjoy.

AndrewKemendo 3y ago
I agree, it seems like we’re headed to the everybody suffers equally instead of everybody is benefited equally Perfect example from a link from yesterday: The removed a crosswalk because it was cheaper to be in compliance by removing it than fixing it [1] Said another way, nobody…from the traffic engineer to the city counsel…cared enough about the people impacted, that they lobbied or changed the system in such a way that would help the impacted person. Their inputs were ignored or overruled. [1] https://streets.mn/2023/07/19/if-we-want-a-shift-to-walking-we-need-to-prioritize-dignity/ https://streets.mn/2023/07/19/if-we-want-a-shift-to-walking-...

InvisibleUp 3y ago

These services have already existed for decades, with government-funded interpreters. They’re known as Telecommunications Relay Services and they come in a lot of varieties for one’s specific level of disability. There are apps now that have the same service using AI transcription instead of a live interpreter, which is nice, but it’s not world-changing.

astura 3y ago

Typically people with speech or hearing difficulties use TTY relay services. https://www.nad.org/resources/technology/telephone-and-relay-services/tty-and-tty-relay-services/ https://www.nad.org/resources/technology/telephone-and-relay...

danw1979 3y ago
Exactly this. I remember regularly taking text-to-speech calls from a non-speaking Mac customer when I worked on tech support at an ISP back in 1998. Must have reconfigured MacPPP a dozen times before we finally got him up and running. He had the patience of a saint… In the UK Ofcom require telcos to provide such services to their customers. https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-telecoms-and-internet/advice-for-consumers/accessibility/text-relay-guide https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-telecoms-and-internet/advice... This is absolutely the right solution to the problem, instead of insisting that every single organisation have such an in-house service.