ENDWELL, N.Y. – At select locations, Visions FCU said it is planning to pilot a device called “Badger” that provides closed captions for conversations in real time to help members who have issues with hearing.
The size of a traditional name badge – and functioning as such when not in use – the device receives audio and converts it to text in real-time on the screen’s display, according to the credit union. The devices pair with an iPhone.
The devices are being provided to the credit union by Satellite Displays and its cofounder and CEO, Mike Williston, who developed the technology.
A Personal Connection
“My grandmother was deaf, my dad has severe hearing loss, and my sister and I have moderate hearing loss,” Williston said. “It wasn’t until my father was in the hospital and having trouble communicating with the nurses and doctors that we realized what a need there was for a device like Badger. Having a Badger would have made it easier for caregivers to communicate with my father by providing real time closed captions.”
Visions said it became aware of the Badger device when its culture and inclusion officer, LaToya Price, heard Williston speaking and exhibiting Badger at an accessibility and inclusion conference in upstate New York.
‘Equitable Experience’
“Members who are hard of hearing or experiencing hearing loss should receive the same exceptional member service that we offer everyone else,” says Pryce. “This technology could help us extend an equitable experience to all.”
Visions FCU said it is the first financial institution to test the technology, and it began partnering with Satellite Displays earlier this year to determine on how best to deliver the device to their teller lines. Over the next few months Visions FCU said it will be testing Badger at branches in Endicott, N.Y., Mahwah, N.J., and Muhlenberg, Penn.
‘Particular Responsibility’
The credit union said it “understands it has a particular responsibility” not only to accessibility through technology, but also its members’ security.
“Badger is a real time-only unit,” said Pryce. “Our members will benefit from the increased accessibility without the worry that their conversations or sensitive information will be saved.”
After piloting the smart badge with speech-to-text in English, Visions FCU said it plans to test the Badger’s capabilities with real time translation to support their growing membership in other languages.
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