An innovative project designed to assist deaf and/or hard of hearing children and young people is currently being piloted by the Education Authority (EA) in five schools.
The Speech to Text Software Pilot aims to test and understand the benefits of using ‘Caption Connect’ captioning software in schools, primarily for students who are deaf and/or hard of hearing.
The EA Sensory Service Team – Anne Marie Kerrigan, Educational Audiologist/Qualified Teacher of Deaf Children and Young People, and Conor Mervyn, Qualified Teacher of Deaf Children and Young People – have been working in collaboration with the EA ICT Projects Team – Victoria Noble, Technical Project Manager, and Ciara Duffy, Senior Project Manager – to drive forward this innovative project.
The initiative was sparked by the challenges faced during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly when masks and face shields obstructed clear communication for deaf and/or hard of hearing students. The Sensory Service team conducted extensive research into generative AI platforms and technologies that could improve learning environments and accessibility for these students.
Caption Connect is a cloud-based software developed by Oncall Language Services which was first discovered by EA Sensory Service in 2024. It aims to minimise concentration and listening fatigue, thereby enhancing the educational experiences of children who are deaf and/or hard of hearing.
The captioning software will be available for teaching staff in five pilot schools, enabling students to read live captions on the interactive whiteboard or screen at the front of the classroom. Additionally, the software will transcribe the lesson, allowing the teacher to share it (once edited) post-class. The pilot phase is expected to extend out to the end of the 24/25 Academic Year within five Schools.
EA CEO Mr Richard Pengelly, said, “I was delighted to have had the opportunity to visit Belfast Royal School to learn more about the Education Authority’s Captioning pilot which will improve access for our deaf and hard of hearing children in our schools. We had the pleasure of seeing how this captioning facility worked in the classroom and saw firsthand the positive impact it had on children in the classroom, an inclusive learning environment.
“My sincere thanks to the entire staff team – both teaching and non-teaching – for their dedication to creating such a positive learning environment for all children.”
Victoria Noble, from the project team, said, “We believe this project will pave the way for more inclusive educational practices and significantly benefit our students who are deaf and/or hard of hearing. We’re also exploring additional use cases for the software, including support for English as an Additional Language (EALs).”
