May marks Speech-Language-Hearing Month, a time to recognize the transformative power of communication and the professionals who make it accessible for all. This year, LSVT Global is proud to spotlight our team’s pivotal involvement in the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) Speech Accessibility Project–a groundbreaking initiative that is changing the landscape of speech technology for individuals with disordered speech.
Empowering Voices Through Technology
For many people with conditions such as Parkinson’s disease, ALS, stroke, cerebral palsy, or Down syndrome, everyday communication can be a challenge–not just in person, but also when interacting with technology. Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) systems, which power voice assistants and smart devices, have historically struggled to accurately understand non-standard speech patterns. This gap has limited access to the digital world for millions.
The Speech Accessibility Project (SAP) set out to change this by building a large, diverse, and open-source database of speech samples from individuals with a range of speech impairments. The goal: To improve ASR so that it works for everyone, regardless of how they speak.
LSVT Global’s Unique Contribution
As specialists in speech disorders related to Parkinson’s disease, LSVT Global was invited to lead the mentoring and screening process for participants with Parkinson’s. Our team of speech-language pathologists (SLPs)-Dr. Lorraine Ramig, Heather Hodges, Carly Bergey, Julie Bergquist, Fiona Briggs, Emily Nauman, Ona Reed, and our Puerto Rico team, Dr. Annie Ramos-Pizarro and María Frontera-played a crucial role in ensuring the quality and authenticity of the data collected.
Our therapists worked directly with participants, guiding them through the process, answering questions, and verifying eligibility. This hands-on, expert-led approach was essential for several reasons:
- Accurate Screening: SLPs used etiology-specific protocols to confirm that participants genuinely had speech impairments, protecting the integrity of the dataset and ensuring that the resulting ASR models would be robust and reliable.
- Mentorship and Support: Many participants needed help navigating the technology or understanding the recording process. Our therapists provided individualized support, making participation accessible and positive for all involved.
- Diverse Recruitment: By partnering with over 100 organizations, LSVT Global helped recruit a wide range of voices, ensuring that the dataset reflected the true diversity of the Parkinson’s community and beyond.
Driving Real-World Impact
The results of this collaborative effort are already leading to changes in technology with a global reach. Microsoft, a key technology partner, recently announced that by integrating this new, diverse speech data into their Azure AI Speech platform, they achieved accuracy improvements ranging from 18% to 60% for English speech recognition, depending on the disability type. This means that for many users with disordered speech, voice assistants and other ASR-powered tools are becoming significantly more accessible and reliable.
By gathering data from individuals with diverse speech disabilities and integrating non-standard speech data into our public model, we have achieved significant improvements in English speech recognition… This ongoing work reflects our dedication to building technology that is more inclusive and accessible for everyone. – Microsoft Azure AI Speech Team
A Model for Inclusive Innovation
The SAP is more than just a technical achievement. It’s a model for how industry, academia, and clinical experts can collaborate to create social change. The project’s structure, as described in recent research, highlights the need for SLPs in both mentoring and screening roles, ensuring data quality and participant well-being, especially for those with complex conditions like dysarthria.
Looking Ahead
As we celebrate Speech-Language-Hearing Month, we honor not only the science and technology that make communication possible, but also the people-participants, clinicians, researchers, and partners-who make these breakthroughs a reality. Our LSVT Global team is grateful to be part of this journey, helping to ensure that every voice can be heard, understood, and empowered.
To our participants, partners, and dedicated therapists: thank you for making communication accessible for all. Together, we are making technology accessible and therefore the world more inclusive.
SAP is currently actively recruiting participants with ALS, Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, and Stroke in the US and Canada.
Meet the LSVT Global Speech Accessibility Project Team:
Dr. Lorraine Ramig, CSO for LSVT Global
Heather Hodges, Lead SLP Mentor
Carly Bergey, Mentor
Julie Bergquist, Mentor
Fiona Briggs, Mentor
Emily Nauman, Mentor
Ona Reed, Mentor
Dr. Annie Ramos-Pizarro, Mentor Puerto Rico
Maria Frontera, Mentor Puerto Rico