Be a Buddy: A Smartphone Application to Facilitate Inclusive Communication for DHH Users

Out of 121 crore population in India, 2.68 crore were found with disabilities whereas 19% constitutes hearing impairment. This impairment hampers their physical, social, and mental development. Their linguistic isolation leads to social isolation and educational needs remain unaddressed. The adoption of tech among DHH learners is increasing as smartphone apps are catering to their needs, yet they may not address issues effectively. A deaf learner requires an interpreter to communicate who translate the complex spoken language into signs for their understanding. Some speech-to-text apps allow communication between deaf and non-deaf person but many of them are not geared toward deaf people especially prelingually deaf. Therefore, the need for an interpreter service has been identified that connects interpreters to the DHH and non-DHH; where one can hire an interpreter to get communication support in any educational or non-educational event. The study goal is to assess the usability of an app-based solution titled “Be a Buddy” that connects DHH, non-DHH, and interpreter so that communication becomes barrier free. DHH learners found the solution helpful and ease to use when tested with a paper prototype.