Nearly two years ago, Google launched Look to Speak, an Android app that allows people to use their eyes to select pre-written phrases and have them spoken aloud. Since then, the app has launched in 18 additional languages. Most recently, we made the app available in Ukrainian to help refugees and veterans of the war.

As a speech and language therapist working at Google, I’ve seen how technology can help people express their everyday needs, feelings and identity. To hear from someone about how Look to Speak can be particularly helpful in Ukraine where people are dealing with the injuries and side effects of war, I spoke with Oksana Lyalka, the founder and president of the Ukrainian Society for Speech and Language Therapy.

What is the situation like for veterans and refugees of the war in Ukraine who have speech and motor impairments?

Due to direct injuries and conditions caused by the war, the number of people with both motor and speech impairments are likely increasing. In addition, indirect impact like stress and malnutrition causes an increased risk of strokes, which can also lead to motor and speech impairments — and access to care remains limited. Also, for many refugees who left Ukraine and are in foreign countries, it’s difficult to get the help they need because many of them already have chronic impairments and their insurance does not cover therapy for communication disorders in another country. Plus, communication is a language-specific impairment. Meaning, it’s difficult to get the help they need in their native language outside of Ukraine.

What are the specific challenges that people are facing?

They are mainly left on their own with speech and motor impairments. Because: 1) There’s a shortage of speech language therapists. 2) There are even fewer who understand what these patients deal with. 3) Therapy is costly and not everyone has the resources to afford it, especially in war time.

How could a tool like Look to Speak be helpful in Ukraine?

When someone has only a speech disorder, they can still write to communicate. But when there are also motor disorders like we’ve discussed, people can end up with no way to communicate. With Look to Speak, even if someone can’t communicate using their mouth, they can communicate with their eyes. This allows caregivers and others in their environment to listen and understand in new ways. Communication is a two-way process, and the Look to Speak app can act as a bridge.

The First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska on the Look to Speak app:

"One of everyone’s fundamental needs is the ability to communicate and interact with those around them. For most people, it is unnoticeable and automatic, similar to breathing. However, due to various factors, a person may lose this ability and be unable to talk or use a computer, tablet, mobile phone, or other devices. Especially now, in times when the war daily multiplies the chances of finding oneself in such conditions, we as a society must unite and help each other as much as we can to overcome these terrible circumstances. One of the examples of Ukraine's responsible cooperation with world technological leaders is the localization of Google’s Look to Speak app. It helps people with motor and speech impairments to communicate using their eye movements. It is good to know that Ukrainian public organizations in health care, medical institutions, and everyone who needs it can use advanced digital solutions now adapted to the needs of Ukrainian users. I am sure that initiatives like Look to Speak will not only provide new opportunities for our citizens but will also serve as a model for other technological companies that are now supporting Ukraine."

To learn more about Look to Speak in Ukraine, watch this video in Ukrainian.

I’ve been a speech and language therapist for more than 10 years. Throughout my career, I’ve specialized in working with people living with speech and motor impairments, particularly those who are non-verbal and require assistance to communicate. It’s more than a job for me, it’s a passion. Every day, I strive to help people find easier and more accessible ways to express their everyday needs, opinions, feelings and identity.

Assistive technology helps this community express themselves. For example, eye gaze technology helps people type messages on a communication device and share them using eye movement alone. As mobile devices become more ubiquitous and powerful, with technologies like machine learning built right into them, I’ve thought about the ways phones can work alongside assistive technologies. Together, these tools can open up new possibilities—especially for people around the world who might now have access to this technology for the very first time.

Turns out a small group of people at Google has been experimenting with a similar idea: how can we use the latest technology to help people communicate. Earlier this year I started working with them on a project called Look to Speak, an app that lets people use their eyes to choose pre-written phrases for their phone to speak out loud. Today, Look to Speak is available to everyone and is compatible with Android 9.0 and above, including Android One. 

With the app, people simply have to look left, right or up to quickly select what they want to say from a list of phrases. Perhaps my favorite feature is the ability to personalize the words and phrases—it lets people share their authentic voice. The eye gaze sensitivity settings can be adjusted, and all of the data is private and never leaves the phone. To help people put this app to use, we created a tutorialand a guide with top tips, like how to position the phone and use the simplified eye gaze interaction. 

Look to Speak is a ‘Start with One’ project on the “Experiments with Google” platform. It all started with an idea that could be impactful for one person and their community. Throughout the design process, we reached out to a small group of people who might benefit from a communication tool like this. What was amazing to see was how Look To Speak could work where other communication devices couldn’t easily go—for example, in outdoors, in transit, in the shower and in urgent situations. Now conversations can more easily happen where before there might have been silence, and I’m excited to hear some of them.

To learn more about the project and download the app, go to g.co/looktospeak.