If you have a child in your school who is hard of hearing or deaf or if one of your parents has trouble hearing what everyone around them is saying, there is a new method of communication called Ava. Available for both iOS and Android, Ava lets hearing-impaired people see the text of the conversations around them when everyone involved is using the app. The speaker or group talks as they normally would with their device, and hearing-impaired people can see the text of their words transcribed almost instantly. This is like Star Trek technology!
The basic plan for Ava is free and allows you to do the following:
- See 24/7 captions on your smartphone for all of your 1-1 conversations
- Participate in any group conversation with 2+ participants
- Host group conversations up to 5 hours per month
There is also an unlimited plan (for “big talkers,” according to Ava) that is $29.99 a month. It includes everything in the basic plan plus the ability to communicate for an unlimited number of hours per month in hosted conversations.
I plan on using Ava with my father, who wears hearing aids, but still struggles to hear and understand what people are saying to him. I think this could be life-changing for him and for many others. This will now let him hear what the doctor or pharmacist says to him without me having to be there to repeat it louder. It gives control back to him, which is so important for everyone. If you have someone in your life who needs help hearing, please try Ava and see what a difference it can make for them every day.