Degenerative diseases can limit not only the ability to move, but also the ability to communicate. It’s estimated that 80% to 90% of people with ALS will experience some form of speech disorder. But in the near future, iPhones may give them not only the power to speak, but also the ability to communicate with loved ones with their own voice.
To commemorate Global Accessibility Awareness Day (May 18), Apple has announced a collection of new iPhone, iPad, and Mac accessibility features. This collection includes many features, including the ability to have your LiDAR-equipped iPhone or iPad use the Magnifier app to read any text you direct (like greeting cards, instructions), Live speech that reads what you type on the phone, and Personal Voice.
Personal Voice feature coming
Developed in collaboration with Team Gleason, a nonprofit ALS awareness foundation, Personal Voice could be an exciting development as it uses a synthesized version of your own voice whatever you type, rather than the iPhone using one of the pre-made Siri voices.
To train the system, which Apple plans to release later this year, you’ll need to position yourself about 15-20 centimeters away from the iPhone’s microphone and then repeat a series of randomly chosen phrases. That being said, this will be enough to train the iPhone’s built-in machine learning (ML) and have the phone repeat everything you type in your synthetically generated voice.
The training method also has a certain flexibility, as the system is designed to assist those who have lost their voice due to motor or cognitive impairment. If you can’t complete a 15-minute training session in one go, you can stop and start until you’ve finished all the sentences. Also, you don’t have to touch the screen, as the training system can automatically orient itself.
Although the system is not designed as an audio recording system, you can also use this feature to record frequently used phrases.
Personal Audio will be available under Settings/Accessibility on iPhone, iPad and Mac and will work with any of these devices using Apple technologies. Unfortunately, only English language is supported for now.
The AI-powered accessibility feature will allow the user to choose the easiest way to communicate, with different options such as redesigned and customizable home screens with larger buttons and text, unified voice calling, FaceTime page, and streamlined interfaces in Music, Camera and Photos.
“Ultimately, the most important thing is to be able to connect with friends and family,” said Philip Green, ALS Advocate and Team Gleason board member, in an announcement about the new features. Green, who was diagnosed with ALS in 2018, added, “If you can tell them you love them in a voice that sounds like you, that’s one of the most important things.”
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