What if deaf people could have truly private phone calls? episode artwork

EPISODE · Aug 5, 2025 · 28 MIN

What if deaf people could have truly private phone calls?

from AXSChat Podcast · host Antonio Santos, Debra Ruh, Neil Milliken

Communication is everything, but what if you couldn't make a private phone call? Tomer Aharoni, CEO and co-founder of Nagish, joins AXSChat to reveal how his team is revolutionizing accessibility for deaf and hard of hearing individuals.For millions with hearing loss, the simple act of making a phone call has historically required dependence on others—interpreters, captioners, or family members. Tomer shares how Nagish disrupts this paradigm with AI-powered technology that enables truly private conversations. The service provides real-time captioning for incoming and outgoing calls while allowing non-verbal users to type responses that are converted to speech.What began as a Columbia University side project has transformed into an FCC-certified service used daily by tens of thousands. Tomer details their remarkable journey—from building the first prototype in Facebook Messenger to securing critical certification after years of regulatory navigation. Throughout this evolution, one principle remained constant: developing directly alongside the deaf community.The conversation explores Nagish's expanding ecosystem beyond phone calls, including solutions for in-person conversations, workplace communication, and even their groundbreaking virtual reality meditation experience "Silent Flow." Tomer explains their thoughtful design approach, making technology accessible without stigma, particularly for older users who might resist acknowledging hearing loss.Looking toward the future, Tomer discusses how they're balancing innovation with privacy, using AI to improve context and accuracy without storing sensitive conversation data. While currently available only in the US due to regulatory requirements, Nagish has ambitious plans for international expansion.Ready to experience communication transformed? Download Nagish from nagish.com and join the revolution in accessible technology that's breaking down barriers one conversation at a time.Send us Fan MailSupport the showFollow axschat on social media.Bluesky:Antonio https://bsky.app/profile/akwyz.comDebra https://bsky.app/profile/debraruh.bsky.socialNeil https://bsky.app/profile/neilmilliken.bsky.socialaxschat https://bsky.app/profile/axschat.bsky.socialLinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/antoniovieirasantos/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/axschat/https://www.linkedin.com/in/neilmilliken/Vimeohttps://vimeo.com/akwyzhttps://twitter.com/axschathttps://twitter.com/AkwyZhttps://twitter.com/neilmillikenhttps://twitter.com/debraruh

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Communication is everything, but what if you couldn't make a private phone call? Tomer Aharoni, CEO and co-founder of Nagish, joins AXSChat to reveal how his team is revolutionizing accessibility for deaf and hard of hearing individuals. For millions with hearing loss, the simple act of making a phone call has historically required dependence on others—interpreters, captioners, or family members. Tomer shares how Nagish disrupts this paradigm with AI-powered technology that enables truly pri...

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What if deaf people could have truly private phone calls?

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