Case 4 - Avaz(Augmentative & Alternative Communication)

Mission: The innovators of Avaz did not want to just create a technological device – they wanted to create an artificial voice with all of the features that others(who are verbal) take for granted.

Solution:Avaz is a device effective for participants with complex communication needs. It is effective for all AAC users following a formal academic curriculum, with or without modifications, who can use the device directly with the touch screen to: o Participate actively and effectively in the classroom by answering questions independently. o Express their creative ideas through compositional work and o Communicate effectively in social interactions with familiar people and stranger.o The AVAZ rental program allows users full access to the device without having to pay the total amount

up front. If they decide to purchase the device after the rental period, the full amount or a portion of rental cost will be deducted from the purchase price

Need: • Between 2005 and 2009, a small group of inventors from the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras – one

of India’s top engineering universities – worked hard to bring Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) to India. They looked at various options, working with many special needs schools, before finally building a tablet computer that would revolutionize AAC in India. This tablet was called Avaz. It was the first device of its kind in India, and as soon as it was introduced, it saw an incredible adoption amongst special educators and therapists working with autism and cerebral palsy.

• At the time of Invention Lab’s inception in 2007, there were no high-tech communication aids available in India. The ones available abroad cost anywhere between $5,000 to $20,000 – making them unaffordable even for the relatively affluent.

Innovation Quotient: The inventor of Avaz was named one of the MIT TR Innovators of 2011. This prestigious recognition is given to those innovators who are looking at important problems in a transformative way. Avaz was the first product in the disability category to be awarded the MIT TR35 recognition.

Current Status and Future Plans:• In May 2010, Avaz was re-written as an app for Android, and, bundled with an Android tablet, it was

launched in the Indian market. Between 2010 and 2012, it became an integral part of special education and therapy all over India, and was also used in a number of other countries in Asia and Europe. In 2012, an Android version and an iPad version of Avaz were launched. Both of these products were based on extensive research, after obtaining feedback from all the existing users of Avaz, and collaboration with leading speech therapists from across the world.

• Avaz is now working with learning disabilities, and are working towards additional features to make Avaz even better.

Case 4 - Avaz

Partners:• Vidyasagar, Chennai works with children and young adults with cerebral palsy and other neurological

disabilities. Vidyasagar has been conducting regular Avaz sessions for some of their children with cerebral palsy. These children have now started using Avaz in their classrooms too.

• The Spastics Society of Karnataka (SSK), started in 1982,  is dedicated to the welfare of persons with Neuro-Muscular and Developmental Disabilities. SSK has used Avaz with cerebral palsy children both in text and picture mode. They have used Avaz in classrooms for participating in classroom discussions, answering questions, discussing ideas for school events, and holding conversations with friends, teachers and visitors.

• Indian Institute of Cerebral Palsy (IICP), recognized nationally and internationally as a specialist centre providing technical services and training programmes, with a national network of affiliate groups serving the needs of people with cerebral palsy. IICP conducted a 4 month scientific Evaluation of AVAZ used with participants with complex communication needs.

Case 4 - Avaz