Yorkshireman battling MND keeps accent when he can’t speak

February 6, 2017

Scientists created a voice for Jason Liversidge, of Scarborough, who has MND
They used recordings from his original voice and ‘donated’ voices to create it
He said he would like to keep a form of identity to communicate with his children

Isobel Frodsham For Mailonline

Published:
03:57 EST, 5 February 2017

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Updated:
14:10 EST, 5 February 2017

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A father who is battling Motor Neurone Disease will still be able to keep his North Yorkshire accent when he can no longer speak as experts have designed him a personalised robotic voice.

Jason Liversidge, of Scarborough, has had the voice made for him by experts who used the same communication technology used by Professor Stephen Hawking, who suffers from the same condition.

The 41-year-old was diagnosed with MND in 2014 and is slowly losing the ability to speak as his condition progresses.

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Jason Liversidge has had a voice created for him so he can still communicate and ‘keep a form of identity’

He said it was important for him for Liz (above) and his daughters to hear his voice rather than a computer generated one

But instead of giving him a computer-generated voice, specialists have created a voice with a Yorkshire accent for Mr Liversidge.

They have used recordings of his original voice from a speech he gave at his sister’s wedding, plus those of Yorkshire men who have donated their voices, including Jason’s best friend, Phil White.

Donor voices were needed because Mr Liversidge’s speech is already slurred.

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Speaking to BBC Inside Out Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, Mr Liversidge said he was hoping to keep his voice to communicate with his children, Poppy and Lilly, and wife, Liz.

He said: ‘I’d quite like to keep a form of identity.

‘I just don’t want to be a programmed voice on a computer. But also for the kids and Liz, [I want them] to hear my voice rather [than] a computer one.’

The 41-year-old was diagnosed with MND in 2014 and is slowly losing the ability to speak as his condition progresses. Above he is pictured with the couple’s children Poppy and Lilly

After hearing his new voice, he said: ‘That’s pretty good. It’s instantly recognisable. It sounds really good. I know it’s me’

After hearing his new voice, he said: ‘That’s pretty good. It’s instantly recognisable. It sounds really good. I know it’s me.’

The new voice was developed at a centre in Edinburgh funded by Harry Potter author JK Rowling.

Dr Phillipa Rewaj, a speech and language therapist at the Anne Rowling Clinic, said: ‘Your voice is identifiable to other people as your face is. It’s very unique to you. So to be able to preserve that is really important for people.’