AVAZ is an Alternative and Augmentative Communication (AAC) Device from Invention Labs, India. It enables people with cerebral palsy to communicate by converting their muscle movements into speech. If you would like to know more about AVAZ or would like to sponsor AVAZ for schools in India, please write to us at enable@inventionlabs.in

1. Vζ
VV
An Alternative
and Augmentative
Communication Device
Aiding inclusion for children
with cerebral palsy

2. What is Cerebral Palsy?
 One of the most common congenital disorders
 Affects muscle tone, movement and motor skills
 Large proportion of children with CP also have
speech impairment
Children with Cerebral Palsy find it
difficult to communicate

3. Cerebral Palsy affects a child in many ways
Hinders a child’s ability to integrate with the community
 Affects their education
 Affects their relationships with loved ones
 Limits their options for gainful employment
Cerebral Palsy has the second highest economic cost
among all birth defects*
* A study conducted by Center for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) estimates the total average lifetime
costs per person to be $921,000 (2003 dollars)

4. Children with Cerebral Palsy need assistive aids to
overcome barriers in communication
Existing solutions in the market
 Manual methods
 Flip charts with alphabet/pictures
 PC-based software solutions
 Purpose-built software (Dasher, BoardMaker, Slate)
 Voice Output Communication Aids
 Portable device with recorded messages (Kathamala)

5. Existing solutions have many disadvantages
 Manual methods
 Excruciatingly slow
 Concentration of child and interlocutor is on flip
chart rather than on each other
 PC-based software solution
 Limited mobility
 Difficult to operate independently
 Voice Output Communication Aids
 Limited number of messages can be recorded
 Suitable in only a few situations

6. What should be the features of the ideal solution?
 Enable freedom of expression
 Children should be able to convey virtually any thought in
their mind
 Independent operation
 Usable by children with poor motor control skills and/or
multiple disabilities
 Inter-operable with other assistive aids
 Enable incorporation of future improvements in assistive
software as well as hardware
 Portable and easy to handle

7. AVAZ – aiding inclusion of CP children
Developed in collaboration with IIT Madras
Tested & used by Vidya Sagar (formerly the Spastics
Society of India, Chennai)
 Dynamic message generation and speech synthesis
 Easy-to-read font sizes on large 7” display
 Audio prompts for the visually impaired
 Supports different methods of interaction like
contact and non-contact switches
 Battery operated
 Wheelchair mountable

8. Testimonial by an AVAZ user
“ good morning everyone. using
avaz, i can now speak anything i
want. i can go out on my own
and talk to people. having avaz
makes me happy and confident.
hope to see many more children
”
like me use these
-Rohit Parek Jain, AVAZ user,
Class XII, Vidya Sagar

9. We need your help and support!
AVAZ will help non-verbal children communicate with their parents,
caregivers, teachers and community
Through this, they can be independent and contribute positively to society
Help us donate these devices to NGOs and schools working with spastic
children
Contribute to give voice to many more people.
MAKE EVERY VOICE HEARD.

10. Thank You
If all my possessions were taken from me
with one exception, I would choose to keep
the power of communication, for by it I
would soon regain all the rest.
- Daniel Webster

11. Appendix 1: Organizations helping CP persons
The National Trust
A GoI body under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment for the
Welfare of Persons with autism, cerebral palsy, mental retardation and
multiple disabilities (http://www.thenationaltrust.in/)
Vidya Sagar
A Chennai-based institution that help in increasing inclusion into society of
children with developmental disabilities (http://www.vidyasagar.co.in/)

12. Appendix 1: Organizations helping CP persons
Indian Institute of Cerebral Palsy
A Kolkata-based organization assisting children with cerebral palsy
(http://www.iicpindia.com/)
International Society of AAC (ISAAC)
ISAAC is an NGO in special consultative status with the Economic and Social
Council of the United Nations (http://www.isaac-online.org/)

13. Appendix 2: About Invention Labs
Invention Labs is a venture promoted by alumni of IIT Madras
Invention Labs develops products that provide people with multiple
disabilities the ability to communicate with family, educators, caregivers and
peers in an independent manner.
Invention Labs is committed to building and supporting different kinds of
assistive software that can run on AVAZ to cater to the communication needs
of persons with speech impairment.