Mobile App for Hearing-Impaired Children Won Gold Award in Web Accessibility Recognition Scheme 2014

Prof Albert Wong, Prof Tim Woo and Mr Kobe Lam (Research Assistant) of Electronic and Computer Engineering have developed the "Auditory and Speech Training App" for hearing-impaired children, which revolutionized existing paper-based auditory training tools with Android-based mobile app technologies. This mobile app facilitates convenient home training and provides better support to parents and teachers. The performance of children can be sent to therapists to evaluate their learning progress, and the parents or children can also share their improvement progress in social media networks.

The app received Gold Award in the Web Accessibility Recognition Scheme 2014 on 14 April.

The recognition scheme is co-organised by the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (OGCIO) and the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) since 2013. The scheme aims to recognize the enterprises and organizations for adopting effective designs in website and mobile apps to facilitate access by everyone, including persons with disabilities.

This digital-inclusion project was sponsored by OGCIO, under the Sponsorship Scheme on Development of Digital Inclusion Mobile Applications. The project was developed in collaboration with the Hong Kong Society for the Deaf. The app has already been launched and free for download in Google Play (keyword: “精靈小耳朵”).

About The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) (www.ust.hk) is a world-class research university that focuses on science, technology and business as well as humanities and social science.  HKUST offers an international campus, and a holistic and interdisciplinary pedagogy to nurture well-rounded graduates with global vision, a strong entrepreneurial spirit and innovative thinking.  HKUST attained the highest proportion of internationally excellent research work in the Research Assessment Exercise 2014 of Hong Kong’s University Grants Committee, and is ranked as the world’s best young university in Times Higher Education’s Young University Rankings 2019.  Its graduates were ranked 16th worldwide and top in Greater China in Global University Employability Survey 2018.

What to read next