Our voices are our most powerful tools for communication. Can you imagine what life would be like without it?
I came across an article online whilst undertaking our ongoing vocal research. It tells the tragic story of Al Keneda who lost his larynx to cancer sixteen years ago. He was left without the faculty of speech and had to communicate with a whiteboard. The alternative to which was an electrolarynx (which vibrates against the skin of your neck & causes a constant vibration that allows you to channel into words).
The article is fascinating and quickly make you realise just how profound the link is between our personal identities and our voices.
Thankfully, there are breaking technologies in the form of ‘Silent Speech Recognition’ that may make being able to communicate without a voice a lot easier.
Read more about Al’s story and these fascinating technologies here.