Meet Sarah, a digital artist.
Martin, a web developer and new father.
Helen, busy planning her wedding.
And me, Jemima. I'm making this film.
We have an important thing in common.
We talk using electronic communication aids -
talking computers.
Some disabled people have no voice or are very difficult to understand.
This does not mean we have nothing to say.
We can communicate using alternative and augmentative communication,
or AAC.
With voice output communication aids,
a synthesised voice can speak our words.
Most communication aids are touchscreen computers
with an integrated speaker.
Messages are created with a keyboard,
onscreen alphabet or symbol-based software.
But many of us have limited hand function,
so we have to find alternatives.
We might use a switch controlled by the hand,
head or foot.
I use vibrations from my throat.
The computer scans through options
until a selection is made with the switch.
In recent years, eye gaze technology has allowed many people
to control a communication aid using eye movement,
tracked by a carefully calibrated camera.
The same technology can also provide independent control
of the home environment
and anything done on a computer -
from film editing to grocery shopping.
Early synthesised speech sounded somewhat robotic
and offered limited choice of voices.
Today a wide range of accents and characteristics are available,
although some people keep the voices they have always used.
Stephen Hawking chose not to update his voice,
because it was so well known and had become part of his identity.
Now "voice banking" is becoming more accessible and affordable.
Someone whose speaking voice will soon be lost can record words
and phrases from which the sounds of their voice
can be replicated on a computer.
People who have never been able to speak
can invite a family member or friend
to be a "voice donor".
Technology for talking is increasingly individualised.
Talking with a computer is not easy.
Switch access and eye gaze are tiring.
It takes intense concentration.
But often the biggest challenge is the attitude of others.
It takes me a long time to compose a message.
Some people walk away before I finish,
because they get bored or think I'm incapable of responding.
We are often disregarded or patronised by people
who do not recognise that we have something to contribute
if they give us time to respond.
Technology for talking can seem slow and frustrating,
but it allows us to express our ideas,
work, create and form relationships.
Sarah Ezekiel creates beautiful art using eye gaze technology.
Martin Pistorius' memoir 'Ghost Boy'
topped the New York Times' bestseller list.
Helen Quiller helps run a national charity supporting disabled children.
And I am Jemima Hughes, a filmmaker and animator.
We don't have speaking voices,
but we lead full, creative lives.
Technology gives us a voice and enables us to participate.
So next time you meet someone who talks with a communication aid,
don't be shy!
If you give us time to answer, you'll find we have something to say.