Speech Accessibility Project

Study Information

The Speech Accessibility Project, a collaborative effort between the Electrical and Computer Engineering and Speech and Hearing Science departments, is now recruiting U.S. adults with Down syndrome. The goal of the project is to make voice recognition technology useful for individuals who may have diverse speech patterns and disabilities. Project funded by Amazon, Apple, Google, Meta, and Microsoft.

Dr. Laura Mattie and Dr. Marie Channell led the project from the Speech and Hearing department. Both are associate professors who work with individuals with Down syndrome throughout the lifespan.

Now recruiting U.S. adults with Down syndrome (18+ years) to help commercial speech recognition tools understand different types of voices, including those of people with Down syndrome. All personal information is safeguarded at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.Record your speech from the comfort of your home, with caregiver support as needed. Mentors from UIUC are ready to walk you through the participation process. Participants can earn up to $180. Caregivers, if needed, can earn up to $90, as well.