Finding a Voice That Felt Like Me: Our Journey with the ElevenLabs Impact Program
Updated: Oct 9
By Francesca, Clinical Manager, and Ilaria, AAC User
For many people who use Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC), the voice on their communication device is an important part of their identity. It is how they express themselves, but what happens when that voice doesn't quite feel like you?
Recently, we worked together to find a new voice for Ilaria using the ElevenLabs Impact Program, which provides people with speech disabilities access to high-quality AI voices.
Why We Started This Journey
Francesca:
Ilaria has been using AAC since she was 9 and since then has used an acapela child voice called Rosie. Ilaria became understandably attached to her Rosie voice however with her 21st birthday fast approaching, we began discussing whether there might be a voice that felt more representative of her personality, age and identity. Having a voice that feels authentic can make a real difference to confidence, self-expression, and ownership of communication.
The Rating Process:
Francesca:
Finding the right voice was not a quick process. Over 20 people provided me with samples of their voices to share with Ilaria.
Together, we listened to these samples of female voices, focusing on voices with North West accents as this was important to Ilaria.
To make sure Ilaria could easily share her views, we created a rating scale within her AAC system using Grid 3. After listening to each voice sample, she used her device to rate how much she liked it and share additional comments about what worked well and what didn't. It was clear Ilaria did not like heavily accented voices or softly spoken voices.
After carefully reviewing all of the options, one voice stood out. Sarah's voice consistently received the highest ratings and felt like the best fit. Sarah kindly agreed to take part in the voice banking process, recording the speech samples needed to create a personalised AI voice through ElevenLabs.
Sarah (Speech and Language Therapist):
It has been an absolute pleasure to work with ATtherapy on voice banking for Ilaria.
As a Speech and Language Therapist, I've had the privilege of working alongside many AAC users, and I think it's incredible that we can now create voices that are so much more bespoke to each individual. Being chosen to help with that process has been a real honour.
The use of AI continues to amaze me, and it's so exciting to see how its development is making voice banking more accessible and available to so many more people. I was also really impressed by how straightforward the process was using ElevenLabs. Uploading my voice recordings was so simple, and it was fascinating to hear how those audio clips were transformed into such a natural, high-quality voice.
Having a voice that you truly identify with is incredibly important, and I'm so happy to have played a small part in helping Ilaria find a voice that feels authentic and personal to her. It's exciting to think about how advancements like these will continue to improve communication and accessibility for Ilaria and so many people in the future.
Hearing the Final Voice
Ilaria:
“I think it’s great because it says the words better”
Francesca:
I was really pleased when I heard the final voice as I felt it sounded natural and met Ilaria’s criteria for what she wanted. I was pleased when I shared this with Ilaria and her care team that everyone liked this.
Natalie (Ilaria’s Psychologist):
The final voice sounds absolutely amazing and flows really well. It doesn’t sound too ‘old’ either, as we know it will be an adjustment for Ilaria to change from her ‘Rosie- child voice’. In my opinion, the voice that Ilaria has chosen genuinely sounds like it could be ‘Rosie’s’ adult voice!! It’s incredible that ElevenLabs program has made this possible for Ilaria (and obviously Sarah’s voice), to allow her the opportunity for greater expression now she is an adult.
Reflections
Francesca:
The technology itself is exciting, but what mattered most was ensuring that Ilaria remained at the centre of the process. Using her AAC system and rating scale allowed her to evaluate options, express preferences, and ultimately make an informed choice about something deeply personal.
We are incredibly grateful to Sarah Nottingham for giving her time to support the voice banking process and to the ElevenLabs Impact Program for making this opportunity possible.
Finding the right AAC voice is about much more than technology. It is about identity, self-expression, and ensuring that every person has the opportunity to communicate in a way that feels authentically theirs.
