Multimedia Vocabulary Program for the Hearing Impaired

DESCRIPTION: Clinical literature often mentions telephone use as one of the
most stressful communication situations for the 1 percent of the population who
stutter. We propose a device to modify stuttered speech spoken into a
telephone. It uses phonetic classification technology to detect certain types
of dysfluencies. The dysfluencies will be removed and real-time time-scale
modification will be used to seamlessly lengthen fluent portions of the
utterances to compensate. Listeners will assess the quality and intelligibility
of dysfluent (unprocessed) and fluency-enhanced (processed) speech in listening
experiments. The proposed device is a tool that persons who stutter may choose
to use when they need to talk on the telephone with greater fluency. In
addition to modifying speech, the device might also modestly reduce speaker
anxiety, a commonly accepted factor in fluency improvement. It will prove
especially useful for those whose employment depends on telephone use. Its
value could also extend to international markets, and the device could be
modified for other electronically mediated communication, such as public
address systems.
PROPOSED COMMERCIAL APPLICATION:
Surveys have shown that employers' attitudes about the way employees sound on the
telephone affect employability and advancement; the effect is negative for persons who
stutter. If successful, the proposed device will enable such persons to function more
effectively in their work. The device may also qualify as a "reasonable accommodation"
by the employer under the Americans with Disabilities Act.