Voice Banking involves recording samples of your natural voice so that, if speech becomes more difficult in the future, you can continue to communicate using a digital voice that sounds like you.

For people living with ataxia, where speech changes can develop over time, voice banking can help maintain a sense of identity, independence, and connection with others.

Acting sooner rather than later can give you more options and better-quality recordings, helping to ensure that your voice continues to reflect who you are.

The best point to bank your voice, is now.

Voice banking is an important step to consider early on, this may be at the time of diagnosis or before, while your speech feels clear, natural and strong, giving you the best opportunity to capture your voice at its fullest.

Depending on your needs, there are three options available:

• Voice Build – for people whose speech is unaffected now but may change in future & if you just want to bank your voice.
• Voice Repair – for those already noticing changes such as slurring or breathiness.
• Voice Design – for people who can no longer speak clearly, using voice donors or old recordings to create a new voice that feels like your own.

For further information, please see:

SpeakUnique’s website or the Voice Banking with SpeakUnique’s Guide

Your banked voice will be held with SpeakUnique indefinitely. If you require a copy of your voice recordings, you may contact SpeakUnique to request this.

What you will need:

• You’ll need a PC or laptop with an external microphone.
• Please note you will need to record between 150–400 sentences.
• You may also split this across multiple sessions if you get tired.

To bank your voice with SpeakUnique is completely FREE.

Ataxia UK can offer funding for Voice Build, Voice Repair and Voice Design for people with ataxia who live in the UK.

Ataxia UK’s funding is provided at the point when you need to use your synthetic voice rather than in advance and with the support of a healthcare professional.

To make a request for funding, please submit a funding request through your SpeakUnique account.

This option will be available once you have listened to samples of your synthetic voice. You will need to provide contact details for a healthcare professional to support this application.

If you have any questions about seeking Ataxia UK funding, or getting support from a health care professional to support your application, please contact the Ataxia UK Helpline on 0800 995 6037 or by email at help@ataxia.org.uk.

Browse SpeakUnique’s FAQs here.

Access SpeakUnique’s support documents, here.

or contact the Ataxia UK Helpline on 0800 995 6037 or help@ataxia.org.uk.