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VIBRAVOICE© |
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Vibravoice: mini autonomous vibratory (75 grammes) to help the deaf persons. The vibratory world is a field of incredible richness only asking to be exploited with a tool adapted for its exclusive use. The Vibravoice has been created to bring an extra help to the deeply deaf along with all the work done with speech therapists. This device has been imagined by a deaf person who lives without a hearing aid and who learned to speak with Mrs Borel Maisonny in the 40ies. He is bilingual (he speaks, writes and lip reads), he's got a Masters degree and is perfectly integrated in the hearing world. The aim of the Vibravoice is to reproduce the vibro tactile sensations of the sounds of the voice in the fingers exactly like when you put your hand on the larynx of your co-utterrer. Its purpose is to be able to understand phonems: the sounds of the voice are the distinguishing and relevent features of the language, and are not uttered separately but successively in the spoken chain because for a same movement of the lips, you don't get the same sound. Thus you could avoid a few confusions such as: light/ night, sink/think ...................... Apparently, it is no big deal but the little extra provided by the Vibravoice not only brings an increased assurance in the understanding of lip reading in the long run, but also increases your elocution at different levels: First, it allows to remove any kind of doubt to the understanding of the movements of the lips and the recognition of phonems. Second, it helps to memorize the pronunciation and the articulation of words that a deaf person never fully hears but must know how to pronounce correctly to be understood. It is the memo-comparative method which is widely used in the learning of a language and speech with children and hearing people: they compare their own pronunciation to the others' to reach a perfect vocal mimetism as well as the accent of the different regions of a country. Lastly, the device enables to materialize a physical link with your co-utterer and also with the accoustic environment to adjust the tone of your voice according to it. For example, to enter a building equipped with an intercom, you can know if a person is talking to you and you can introduce yourself immediately and feel the "click" of the door opening.... The device is sensitive enough, powerful, easily activated with one hand and it can be operated discretely withing a blazer pocket. I am convinced it can bring an extra help in communicating with the hearing world. JM COUDON. |
Swizerland