CallBridge

At the outset, the team was motivated to solve a longstanding problem for the d/Deaf and hard-of-hearing community who lacked direct access to phone calls.

However, as hearing individuals, we didn’t fully understand the communication barriers faced in daily life. Our initial outreach to organisations for validation took much longer than expected, often resulting in prolonged response times and uncertainty. Wanting to better understand the community’s needs, we began engaging directly by attending Deaf Hangouts and meeting users face-to-face. Listening to their stories and lived experiences opened our eyes to real barriers and deepened our empathy.

That early groundwork laid the foundation for CallBridge and inspired us to iterate beyond just the technology, it shaped how we approached our onboarding, user testing, and pilot outreach. The communication gaps we encountered during these sessions highlighted the urgency of the problem and pushed us to find creative, respectful ways to connect and collaborate. This hands-on, community-centered process has helped us bridge not only technical gaps, but emotional ones as well, making the journey deeply meaningful and rewarding.

Since launching our pilot, CallBridge has enabled real change:

Pilot Test

- 10 Deaf users onboarded, including 5 employees from SADeaf through partnership.

- 57 calls made in 2 weeks — providing access to essential services and contacts.

Users successfully completed two critical tasks:

- Discovering who their missed callers are.

- Getting queries answered on phone calls, tasks once out of reach.

Hotline Test Calls:

- Conducted simulated hotline calls with the People’s Association.

- Gathered key feedback to improve pick-up rates and reduce drop-offs.

- These trials ensure the app is responsive to real-world needs.

While issues and bugs remain, users are already finding new independence and greater access thanks to CallBridge.

User Experience

- CallBridge app rated as easy and intuitive by Deaf users.

- Surprisingly, most barriers encountered were on the recipient side, not with the users.

Key Challenges Identified

- Low pick-up rates and high drop-off rates traced to:

> AI voice sounding unnatural or robotic.

> Delays while users type responses causing perceived drop-offs.

> Issues with AI correctly spelling names or relaying numbers (e.g., NRIC).

Actions Taken

- Tweaked AI voice for more natural sound.

- Provided tips for users to use shorter sentences and quick replies such as "Please wait a while" to let the recipient know that they have not dropped off

- Enhanced translation to better handle names, numbers, and spelling on calls.

Ongoing Testing

- Continued experiments to measure if changes boost call success and allow users to complete their tasks more smoothly.

Upcoming Initiatives:

- Expand hotline test calls to agencies like NAVH and Mindline, who we are arranging with.

- Phase 2 partnerships with PA:

> “CallBridge-certify” hotline staff with targeted training.

> Empower users to call with confidence.

Wider Launch and Adoption:

- App Store launch with a public awareness campaign.

- Boost user base and make CallBridge calls more recognisable and trusted.

Product & Community Growth:

- Roll out Singpass verification and resolve bugs highlighted in pilot feedback.

- Partner with SADeaf to reach their registered members and online audience.

- Explore collaboration with telcos (e.g., StarHub) for custom subscription plans tailored for Deaf users—making CallBridge-powered calls easier and more accessible.