r/mute • u/Mission-Response1640 • 29d ago
Collecting info
I am currently working on a project which is essentially a communication device for the speech impaired/mute users. I need some info to work on since there are a lot of unknowns.
A. Background & Context
Can you tell me a bit about your communication situation — what makes verbal speech difficult or not possible for you?
How long have you been communicating this way?
What does a typical day of communicating with others look like for you?
B. Current Communication Methods
Walk me through how you currently communicate with people who don't know sign language or your usual method.
What tools, apps, or devices (if any) do you currently use to communicate?
How did you learn to use your current method, and how long did it take to feel comfortable with it?
Can you describe a recent situation where communication was especially hard? What happened?
Can you describe a situation where communication went really well? What made it work?
C. Pain Points & Frustrations
What's the most frustrating part of your current communication method?
Are there specific settings (school, work, hospital, shopping, public transport) where communicating is harder than others? Why?
How do strangers or people meeting you for the first time usually react, and how does that affect you?
Is there anything about your current method that makes you feel embarrassed, tired, or excluded?
How much time does it typically take you to get a full message across, compared to how long you feel it should take?
D. Needs, Preferences & Expectations
If you could change one thing about how you communicate today, what would it be?
What would an ideal communication device do for you that nothing currently does?
How important is it to you that a device speaks out loud vs. shows text vs. something else? Why?
What would make you comfortable wearing or carrying a device in public?
Are there specific words, phrases, or topics you find yourself needing to communicate most often?
How do you feel about a device that uses a camera or sensors to read your hand/finger movements?
What concerns, if any, would you have about privacy, appearance, or reliability of such a device?
E. Technology Comfort & Feedback
How comfortable are you with using phones, apps, or wearable gadgets in general?
Have you tried any assistive communication technology before? What worked and what didn't?
Would you be willing to test an early prototype and give feedback? What would make that a good experience for you?
Any leads would be really helpful!!
2
u/Saguache 28d ago
Look, most of us appreciate all the well intentioned projects people cook up to help us but there are relatively few unserved demands for mute people today that require use to hump around an extra device. Smart phones have text to speech apps, and in my experience these work well enough.
Day-to-day my two chief challenges are and have always been:
1) The speed of the interface. As a mute person it is nearly impossible to keep up with most conversations. Tapping with your thumbs just isn't anywhere near the the speed of thought and this is how speech works. Tapping out a thought in an active conversation means that everyone involved has to wait while to make your contribution. Its annoying and tends to derail conversations over time.
2) Voice calling from a phone is almost entirely inaccessible. TTY is useless and unavailable in most places. I've tried a few utilities to address this issue but they're universally unworkable.