Can Voice Recognition Be a Second Hearing Aid!?

Mitsuhiko Ogawa Nakano Ward, Tokyo

Assistive devices to compensate for hearing loss traditionally relied solely on hearing aids and similar devices that utilize residual hearing. However, voice recognition technology, which has become accessible to individuals over the past decade or so, now enables compensation through visual means. The earnest wish of many people with hearing loss is “If only I could read the voices….” This wish is finally becoming a reality.

“You Can Read It Even If You Can’t Hear It!” — Voice Recognition Apps

One of the most common tools today is the smartphone app. I personally use one as well. I particularly appreciate how it continuously recognizes voices during lengthy meetings, lectures, and similar events. There are several free apps available for download, which individuals can use on their smartphones. Please utilize them in accordance with the Terms of Use. This voice recognition technology is a relatively new method that has developed in recent years, so many people are still unfamiliar with its proper usage. We especially encourage those in a supporting role to use it, as well as those with hearing difficulties themselves. When speaking, hold your smartphone close to your mouth so that the other person can clearly see both your lip movements and the voice recognition results—this makes it comparatively easier to understand. Voice recognition inevitably involves conversion errors. It can misinterpret words due to background noise, pronunciation, or network issues. Please use it while confirming both parties understanding as well as the displayed content. If there’s an error, try repeating the phrase. If it still doesn’t display correctly, switch it to written communication.

You Can Make Calls Even If You Can’t Hear Them — with “Yometeru”!

Many people with hearing impairments or who have become hard of hearing later in life, are able to speak vocally. However, they find it difficult to hear the other person’s voice. As someone with a severe hearing impairment, I grew up believing that making telephone calls was impossible.The smartphone app “Yometeru” is now available. It has been provided as a public service since January 2025 under Japanese law. Users can choose either voice recognition or text-input operator service. To use the service, one must first contract with the Japan Federation Telephone Relay Service, which provides a special number beginning with “050.” After that, one can make calls directly through the app. When you speak, your voice goes directly to the other person, and their replies come back as both voice and text. It may seem a bit complicated in writing, but “Seeing is believing”— please visit the official website for more details (※1).
The service is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Usage fees are billed at the end of each month. The person you’re calling doesn’t need any special setup—when they receive a call from a “050” number belonging to a hearing-impaired user, they can be understood through text.

I used “Yometeru” to talk on the phone with another person who had lost their hearing later in life. I was so impressed that we ended up talking for 30 minutes! Until now, there has never been a system that allowed two hearing impaired individuals to talk to each other by voice over the phone. This is what a real phone call should be!
(※1) https://www.yometel.jp/