Speech synthesis has been around since the late 1950s, and for blind and low vision users of technology, it is a key part of everyday life, on computers, phones, tablets, televisions, smart home devices and much more.
In the first of a two-part webinar series on 25th April, hosted by Sight and Sound Technology, and the UK Association for Accessible Formats (UKAAF), we explored recent developments in synthetic speech . We heard from some of the key players in the industry, found out about the latest developments, and glimpsed a little into the future.
Our guests were: Willem Cluness from Cereproc who spoke about their work in developing voices and applications, Ronan McGuirk talked about developing an Irish voice for eSpeak, and Victoria Petrova from Deep Zen who have developed tools for Audiobook production, and API services.
The second webinar On 2nd May focused on reading tools and how Text to Speech is being used. We were joined by Steve Bennett, Managing Director of Dolphin Computer Access Ltd, Katharine Howe, Book Production Manager, with colleagues, from Child Vision’s book production service in Dublin, and Richard Orme, CEO of the DAISY Consortium.
Putting both sessions together, this is a fascinating developing area of activity. We extend thanks to all of our presenters for sharing their wisdom and expertise.
