All Japan Association of Hard of Hearing and Late-Deafened People
Mitsuhiko Ogawa

1. Guarantee the safety of people with hearing impairment! Troubles in mobility

The most common difficulties facing individuals who are hearing-impaired are problems dealing with mobility. When asked in a questionnaire, problems with mobility are usually always ranked at the top of the list.

However, except for equilibrium dysfunction, hearing impairment alone has little effect on motor function, but secondary information impairment is the central problem. The effectiveness of hearing aids and cochlear implants are limited. There are many situations where it is difficult to solve the problem only by the individual’s ability and efforts. This is evident in times when there are announcements of train delays, and where it is necessary for individuals to communicate due to some kind of trouble, etc..

In 2006, with the revision of the Act on Promotion of Smooth Transportation, etc. of Elderly Persons, Disabled Persons, etc. (henceforth called the Barrier Free Act), it was clearly stipulated that visual information pertaining to railways, buses, ships, and airplanes be provided. This is carried out differently according to the company. Especially urgently needed is information pertaining to accidents which occur while they are travelling. As of now, however, there is hardly any such information.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism has announced that attention will be paid to the promotion of "visualization" of above-mentioned information for individuals with hearing impairments at the timing of reviewing their basic policies. We would also like to strengthen our efforts of incorporating a system that provides information related to such accidents into the barrier-free status check items of the ministry.

Here, we will feature apps for smartphones that are considered to be effective from the perspective of the author with severe hearing loss regarding troubles while in-motion. Since the apps that can be used vary depending on the OS of the smartphone, we will mainly introduce free apps that can be accessed by both Android and iOS OS.

In either case, users need to be careful of safety of one’s surrounding area.

*Please check the terms of use for each app and download it from Google play (Android series) or App Store (iOS series).

2. Travel apps

While traveling, especially if one is using unfamiliar transportation, operational information and locational information will be useful. In recent years, the number of visual electronic signs at train stations and bus stops has been increasing steadily, especially in large cities.

However, accessible information is still insufficient in these modes of transportation. Especially, many old modes made before the Amended Barrier Free Law do not support this. There is also an urgent need to update equipment and methods of transportation.

In such a case, one can use a map-based application that can acquire location information in the users current location using GPS. There are map apps such as "Google Maps" that can be used on both Android and iOS smartphones. It is also useful when walking, riding a bicycle, or other modes of transportation.

There are apps that can relay information such as other vehicle positions and accidents that give operational information and are provided by each transportation company.

Example: Toei Transportation App

https://www.kotsu.metro.tokyo.jp/pickup_information/app.html

There are also apps (partially charged) such as Yahoo! Transit Information and NAVITIME that can be used comprehensively.

3. Communication apps

The communication situation for individuals with hearing impairments varies. This is especially true for individuals who have difficulty in voice communication due to severe hearing loss and face problems when human support is required. In cases when purchasing a ticket at a manned window or making inquiries, if there is a supporter for short distances, one may need to converse by writing.

There are various writing and voice recognition apps that can be used on smartphones in such cases. Even if one is not good at operating a smartphone, there are various apps that allow individuals to easily handwrite and display characters by voice recognition.

However, it is troublesome in cases such as unmanned counters and cases of communicating through the intercom of a terminal. According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, of the 9465 train stations nationwide, 4564 of them are unmanned, or have no station staff all day long (as of the end of March 2020). Even at manned stations, there are unmanned ticket gates and, at times, unmanned hours. This trouble is also seen in intercoms with an emergency stop button, which will greatly hinder safety and convenience. A solution is needed between all parties involved, including the business operators, and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism.

4. Emergency app

Individuals with hearing impairments may also come across trouble at their destination. In particular, in the event of a traffic accident, sudden illness, fire or marine accident, or any other incident, one will need to make a call and dial emergency services at 110, 119 and 118. Until the end of the 20th century, individuals with hearing impairments who had difficulty making phone calls could only contact the police and fire departments by fax, and/or rely on people who could hear them on the move.

In recent years, with the progress of telecommunication technology, a system that allows these individuals to report incidents by typing the message has appeared. Thus, individuals with hearing impairments can make more accurate reports of incidents using apps and web functions.

(1) Dialing 110 app system (National Police Agency)

This is a system that allows one to make an emergency call to the police with text and/or images anywhere in the country using one's smartphone. This system is for people who have difficulty calling 110 by voice, such as individuals with hearing impairments, etc. One can download it for free from Google play (Android series) and the App Store (iOS series).

One can also dial 110 via a chat room by typing the message out. At this time, one can take and send a photograph as well. Pre-registration is required to use this app, however. Open the pre-registration screen for the 110 app and follow the instructions to pre-register.

(2) Emergency call to Net119 (Fire and Disaster Management Agency) and NET118 (Japan Coast Guard)

Similarly, there are Net119 of each fire department and NET118 for the Japan Coast Guard as auxiliary means for those who have difficulty in making a voice call for emergencies. Unlike the 110th app, this app uses the web function of smartphones.

① Net119 can make an emergency call to the fire department of each registered prefecture. First of all, it is a sytem to report the distinction between "emergency" and "fire," and confirm the details by text chat. It is expected to be a unified system nationwide in the future.

The application method differs depending on the region. Please check the website of the Fire and Disaster Management Agency of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications for the implementation status of your local government.

Net119 emergency call system
https://www.fdma.go.jp/mission/
enrichment / kyukyumusen_
kinkyutuhou / net119.html

② NET118 allows one to make an emergency call to the Japan Coast Guard by entering the appropriate typed text. The operation is very similar to Net119, but it is a system common throughout the country. Pre-registration is required for use.

If one sends a blank email to entry@net118.jp, a registration email will be returned, so please pre-register according to the procedure provided.

Each of these emergency call apps also has a practice screen. In both methods ① and ②, the voice response is faster than entering typed text, so, if possible, one should try making a voice report.

(3) Telephone relay service

From July 1rst of this year, the provision of the telephone relay service, which is implemented in accordance with the law, has begun. Individuals with hearing or speech impairments can communicate with other parties by making calls through a sign language interpreter operator or a character operator.

Previously, there was a stipulation in the Telecommunications Business Law where emergency calls to police, fire departments and the Maritime Security Agency were limited to only voice telephones. With the revision of the law by "Law Concerning Facilitation of Telephone Use by Individuals with Hearing Impairments, etc. (Reiwa 2nd Year Law No. 53)", however, emergency calls can be made by telephone relay services. In addition, it is also possible to respond 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and make two-way calls with other parties. Please refer to the following site for the system and registration methods.

Telephone relay service (Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications)
https://www.soumu.go.jp/menu_seisaku/ictseisaku/telephonerelay/index.html

Telephone relay service registration method
(Registration with the app)
https://nftrs.or.jp/register/