INDEPENDENT NEWS

Connect helps deaf to connect with mainstream society

Published: Mon 6 Mar 2017 10:31 AM
Connect by BeWarned helps deaf to connect with the mainstream society
Blessed are the people who are gifted with the ability to hear and talk. But, for deaf people, the world of sound is frustrating. Not everyone around them understands the sign language. Imagine the challenges they face in talking with other people. A deaf child can’t play with his friends, a deaf student can’t discuss class notes with his peers and a deaf elderly person can’t tell his ailment to a doctor. To help deaf people eliminate communication barriers, BeWarned has launched a new app called Connect, which is a simple helper for the deaf to be understood.
Connect converts text to speech and the other way around, thereby enabling deaf and hard of hearing to communicate with the hearing people whenever they need it. The app has been developed by BeWarned’s co-founder Vitaliy Potapchuk who himself has been hard of hearing since childhood. His personal struggles to communicate with the society inspired him to change the lives of 400 million people like him.
Deaf people can download the app for free and use whenever they need it. After downloading, they can talk to a cab driver, policeman, shopkeeper, a hotel receptionist or any other person without any hesitation. As long as the deaf persons have the Connect app on their phone, the people they want to talk to do not need to have this program installed.
The app is user-friendly and very reliable. It can be used in the native language of deaf people. They can also use textual templates or create unlimited templates of their own for any everyday situation.
When the large-scale beta-testing of Connect was launched in 2016 in the USA, 88.9% of testers stated that they would recommend this app to their friends.
Connect is the first step of BeWarned to make the society more inclusive for deaf individuals and make them feel comfortable in using all mainstream services. It is an initiative to ensure that the lack of communication does not result in the lack of participation and opportunities for deaf community in the hearing society.

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