Having a conversation with family, friends and colleagues is something most of us take for granted, but one that can be denied to people with motor neurone disease (MND) – a neurological disease which attacks the nerves that control movement, leaving people unable to move, talk and eventually breathe. As the disease progresses, over 80% of people with MND will have communication difficulties as their vocal muscles cease to work.
With thanks to the Ian Karten Charitable Trust, we were able to expand our communication aids service for people with MND. Part of this service is to support people with MND who wish to voice or message bank, and the Karten-funded equipment is helping us to do this.
Specialist communication aids make a huge difference to daily life for people living with MND by providing people with a voice through the conversion of text to speech using an in-built synthesised voice, however many people wish to create a personalised synthetic version of their own voice (more commonly referred to as voice banking).
Voice banking has existed for over ten years, but over the last six years technology and services have improved to such an extent that more and more people are able to realise the benefits.
“I’ve now got a digital model of my voice which sounds really like me, it is quite impressive. So if my voice goes completely then I will be able to use my model voice on a little gadget. Luckily things have moved on since Stephen Hawking first got his synthetic voice.”
Michael who is living with MND.
Although technology is improving, the process of voice banking remains ostensibly the same as it always has. The user records a set of phrases, using a laptop or computer and a headset microphone, that are then used to form the basis of the synthetic version of the voice. The number of phrases needed depends on the service used but can be anywhere between 215 and 3,500.
With the technology improving, the time taken to make the recordings has reduced from an average of 90 days in 2018, to 6 days in 2019 which has made a big difference to people with MND undertaking the process.
The quality of the voice produced is also rising. Until recently the services would use the recordings to capture enough phonemes to create the voice, whereas now the process captures the algorithms within the recordings, allowing for clearer and faster voice creation.
Message banking is another option. Message banking allows you to add emotion to your recordings, but as it is simply recording messages it means you are limited to what you record. However, it can be useful for recording particular catchphrases, place names, or a distinctive laugh.
One example of how message banking can benefit is a lady who had voice banked, but her dog did not recognise the synthetic voice due to the lack of emotion – however when using her message banked phrase, her dog instantly recognised the opportunity to go for a walk!
Through our communication aids service, we loan laptops and headset microphones to enable people with MND to voice and message bank. We also provide financial support towards the cost of creating a voice. To help promote message and voice banking to people with MND, we have created a short video, which you can view below.
“The equipment provision via the Karten Trust has been very important as it has ensured very quick access to the correct items needed, minimising delays, which really matter when someone’s voice is already changing.”
Louise Rickenbach, Regional Care Development Adviser, MND Association.
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- This article was written by the Motor Neurone Disease Association Karten Centre
- Featured in the Karten Winter 2019 Newsletter
- This article is listed in the following subject areas: Centre News, Technology