In hospitals and clinical environments where masks are required, deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals continue to experience additional barriers due to the absence of visual cues. Similarly, large in-person meetings, virtual sessions, classrooms and lectures can be difficult to navigate when speakers are at a distance, facing away or using poor-quality microphones. In these contexts, speech-to-text apps offer an effective and accessible solution.
A previous Tech Review article in 2020 by Carolyn Falls and Chris Coulson, explored the benefits of a few speech-to-text apps [1]. Since then, rapid advances in artificial intelligence have significantly transformed the accuracy and usability of these platforms, warranting a fresh review. For this article, we’ve highlighted three apps from a growing range of speech-to-text options.
Otter.ai
Otter.ai is marketed as an AI notetaker, but functions effectively as a speech-to-text app. It integrates seamlessly with virtual platforms such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams to generate live captions and post-meeting transcripts.
When opening Otter.ai, users are presented with three tabs: conversations (for speech-to-text function), calendar (for virtual meeting transcription) and action items. A microphone icon at the bottom of the screen allows the user to easily record and transcribe live conversations. Once the recording is complete, the audio is saved as a conversation. By opening the saved conversation, four tabs then appear: Summary, Transcript, AI Chat and Comments (see Figure 1).
Figure 1: Otter.ai – a live recording transcribed & AI chat used to provide what decisions were made during the patient’s clinical appointment.
The Summary tab provides an outline of the recording and allows you to create and assign action items. The Transcript tab displays the written version of the conversation. The AI Chat enables users to ask questions about the transcript and generate additional insights. The Comments section allows users to add notes and collaborate with other app users.
If you want a truly inclusive experience, Otter.ai has it all. It is the only app reviewed in this article that allows the user to assign tasks. It also records conversations so if there are any errors or concerns with the transcript, a user can go back to it and re-listen. The biggest disadvantage is that if you are using this app for more than one or two conversations a week, you will have to pay for the monthly subscriptions in order to get enough minutes of transcription.
Price: free with limited use or $16.99 USD/month for unlimited use.
Ava
Designed specifically for deaf and hard-of-hearing users, Ava focuses on high-quality real-time captioning for in-person conversations, virtual meetings and videos (Figure 2). Captioning can be completed using the built-in microphones on the user’s device or Bluetooth microphones worn by the speaker. Ava also offers human-assisted captioning with AI (Ava Scribe) to provide reliable captions for complex conversations.
Figure 2: Ava – all the different listening situations that a user can choose from.
When opening the app, users can tap the microphone to begin transcribing. Ava also allows users to type responses that can be read aloud by the app. By sharing a QR code, multiple participants can join a conversation, with captions colour-coded to different speakers.
Ava has an easy-to-use interface that is simple, attractive and everything a hard-of-hearing individual would need to communicate effectively at school, socially and in the workplace. Because it is designed for hard-of-hearing individuals, there are also some helpful communication tools and a link to order Ava recommended microphones. Ava does not include any productivity tools and, although I did not run into any issues with errors in transcripts, the free version has approximately one error in every 10 words. If precision is important, upgrading to a premium subscription or using Ava Scribe will help resolve most errors.
Price: free with limited use or $9 USD/month for premium AI captioning.
Notta
Notta is an AI-powered note-taking tool, with features that include transcription, automatic translation, AI-generated notes and meeting summaries, and a meeting recorder. Notta transcribes, and even translates, live and recorded speech content into more than 50 different languages. This app is particularly useful in multilingual environments, where real-time translation supports communication across language barriers.
Figure 3: Notta – the three options for transcription: upload files, record and audio and online meetings.
When opening Notta, users can select the plus icon to either upload a file, record audio, or record an online meeting. In each instance, the user can choose what transcription language they want.
Notta is a fantastic tool for anyone needing translation in real time. Navigating the three main transcription types (files, live audio and meetings) is straightforward but, as a first time user, I found the rest of the app’s features much harder to find and use.
Price: free with limited use or $10.50 CAD/month for individual subscription.
Conclusion
In a world where everything is becoming increasingly digital and AI-powered, speech-to-text applications such as Otter.ai, Ava and Notta combine innovation with practical support for hard-of-hearing individuals. While these apps were not all originally designed to address communication challenges, together they reflect how AI has reshaped speech-to-text technology into a meaningful tool for communication access.
Reference
1. Falls C, Coulson C. Communication in the age of universal masking: speech-to-text apps to the rescue. ENT & Audiology News 2020;29(3):60.
