Nearly three-quarters of Americans say they have avoided phone calls, highlighting growing communication and accessibility challenges
NEW YORK, June 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ —Â Six in 10 Americans believe phone calls are still not fully accessible to people who are deaf or hard of hearing, according to a new national survey from Rogervoice, the global pioneer of real-time captioned phone calls. The Rogervoice 2026 State of the Phone Call Survey polled 1,000 nationally representative U.S. adults and found that while phone calls remain a core part of daily communication, many Americans are increasingly struggling with clarity and confidence during live conversations.
Nearly three-quarters of Americans say they have avoided making or answering a phone call at least once. Among those who have, the most common reasons include difficulty following conversations due to accent, pace, or clarity, fear of misunderstandings, background noise, and poor audio quality.
The findings point to ongoing communication challenges during live phone conversations. Nearly one in five Americans say they regularly struggle to understand phone conversations, while 20% say someone close to them, such as a parent or family member, experiences the same issue.
Phone calls are important in healthcare, work, and personal conversations, where immediacy matters. At the same time, nearly six in 10 Americans believe workplaces do not provide adequate communication tools for employees with hearing or communication challenges.
“Phone calls still matter,” said Olivier Jeannel, founder and CEO of Rogervoice. “For decades, accessibility in telecommunications has been treated as a specialized issue affecting only a small group of people, but our research shows that communication clarity and confidence are actually broader concerns for many Americans. Accessibility affects everyday communication and is why Rogervoice is committed to making it easier.”
Founded in 2014 by Jeannel, who has been profoundly deaf since the age of two, Rogervoice was built from firsthand experience navigating communication systems designed primarily around audio.
Rogervoice recently surpassed 10 million captioned calls globally and launched U.S. operations. The app enables users to read phone conversations in real-time through live captions and respond instantly by voice or text. It also provides searchable transcripts after calls and supports conversations in more than 100 languages.
“I don’t want to be confined to sitting beside a house phone or relying on someone else to help me communicate – as an active woman, it’s not practical,” said Rogervoice user, Elaine. “The Rogervoice app gives me the confidence to stay connected on my own terms even when I’m on the go.”
For the full survey results, visit Rogervoice.com.
Rogervoice is the highest-rated app among any FCC-certified caption call providers. To download the free app, visit the App Store and Google Play.
About Rogervoice
Rogervoice is the global pioneer of real-time captioned calls for people with hearing loss. Designed by a founder who is deaf, Rogervoice is a free, FCC-certified, AI-powered app that delivers secure, highly accurate captions and transcripts. Backed by more than a decade of expertise in accessible telecommunications, the award-winning app has captioned more than 10MM calls in 100 languages. By making phone calls easier, Rogervoice empowers users to communicate with confidence, independence, and peace of mind, allowing them to stay connected and in control of their everyday lives.
About the Study
The 2026 State of the Phone Call Survey was conducted by Censuswide among 1,000 nationally representative U.S. adults aged 20–89. Data was collected between April 13 and April 20, 2026. Censuswide adheres to MRS and ESOMAR standards for quality and compliance.
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SOURCE Rogervoice
