Bridging Voice

Bridging Voice Bridging Voice is a nonprofit dedicated to helping people with ALS communicate and stay connected.

How we help:
✅ 1:1 support for ALS patients & families
✅ Training for healthcare practitioners (SLPs, OTs)
✅ Custom assistive technology innovations We believe the ability to connect and communicate with family, friends, healthcare providers, and the broader world is a critical component of the human experience. No diagnosis should be allowed to rob an individual of this possibility.

08/10/2026

Client Spotlight: Meet Dave
Due to scarring from a prior eye surgery, Dave wasn't able to use an eye tracker for communication. We tried head tracking, facial gesture control, and wired switches, but none gave him sustainable access to communication.

Then we tried something different: the NeuroNode, a wireless sEMG sensor worn on the arm that reads muscle signal instead of eye movement. And that was the turning point! With the NeuroNode, Dave was finally able to communicate with his loved ones again.

Last November, Dave stood as the MVP of his local ALS Walk and delivered a speech in his own words, using his NeuroNode. Moments like this are why our team keeps testing, adapting, and problem-solving until we find the right custom solution for every client. Everyone deserves to be heard 💙

Did you know it's International Self-Care Month? 💙 Feels like the perfect moment to spotlight an organization focused on...
07/22/2026

Did you know it's International Self-Care Month? 💙 Feels like the perfect moment to spotlight an organization focused on exactly that: Opals 4 ALS .

OPALS 4 ALS (Offering Pampering for People Living with ALS) connects compassionate beauty and wellness professionals with people living with ALS to provide services like haircuts, massages, makeup, and nail care that help restore confidence, dignity, and a sense of self amid the profound physical and emotional changes wrought by ALS. They believe beauty and self-care are powerful forms of healing, and that everyone deserves to feel radiant, seen, and strong.

Founded by amazing Bridging Voice client Amy, OPALS 4 ALS has served nearly a dozen people (including a few other Bridging Voice clients!), many of whom return for multiple services.

OPALS 4 ALS currently operates in Wisconsin. They're trying to reach everyone with ALS in the state—if you or someone you love has ALS and lives in Wisconsin, reach out for a little pampering! Learn more and request services at www.OPALS4ALS.org 💙

07/22/2026

We were so honored to have Bridging Voice Executive Director Karina Nagin join Inheritance of Hope’s podcast episode on voice preservation this week.

Listen to the full episode now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube—search for “The Inheritance of Hope Podcast”.

Over years of working with people living with ALS and their families throughout every stage of the disease, we noticed a...
07/21/2026

Over years of working with people living with ALS and their families throughout every stage of the disease, we noticed a pattern that we couldn’t ignore. Clients who, despite every tool, customization, and innovation we had to offer, slowly lost the ability to reliably communicate. It wasn’t End of Life or a device or training problem—it was something different that we realized had no name, no definition, and no dedicated resources.

So we brought it to our community. This past spring, we hosted a roundtable and an open training session attended by hundreds of pwALS, caregivers, and practitioners who shared their experiences and helped us shape what a resource on this topic needed to say.

Today, we’re proud to share what came from those conversations: two free resources that define “End of Communication” and help guide people living with ALS and their caregivers through this difficult stage.

We know this is an emotionally heavy topic, and want to be clear that End of Communication will not be the experience for every person with ALS. If it doesn’t feel like the right conversation for you right now, that’s okay. These resources will be here if or when you need them.

We think of these materials as the beginning of a conversation that’s long overdue. A huge thank you to the community that helped make them possible. We ask for your email to access these resources so that we can follow up to gather feedback and continue improving these over time.

Read the full story and access both resources at: https://buff.ly/F6l11sL

The Bridging Voice team was devastated to learn of the passing of one of our incredible clients and a dear friend and co...
07/07/2026

The Bridging Voice team was devastated to learn of the passing of one of our incredible clients and a dear friend and collaborator, Hira Ahluwalia, Ph.D., last week on July 1. So many of Bridging Voice's innovations stem from the ideas of this incredible community, and Hira was the impetus behind one of the most impactful innovations we've ever launched: our ElevenLabs partnership. He was the reason we first connected with ElevenLabs to use AI voice cloning to help people living with ALS, and this partnership has now enabled us to help over 2,500 clients maintain their voice and identity. And that was just one of many ideas Hira brought us. He frequently came to his sessions with lists of tweaks and changes that would improve his communication, inspiring our team to implement them and think about client challenges in different ways. His feedback and input were crucial to the development and refinement of so many of our innovations, including our translation program, which lets clients type and speak in multiple languages on their eye trackers. We're so grateful for Hira's brilliance, curiosity, and commitment to staying connected despite all the challenges of ALS. He gave so much to our team and to this community. His family's love and dedication enabled him to continue communicating until the very end, and our thoughts are with them now. Rest in peace, Hira, we are so fortunate to have worked with you 💙

06/30/2026

Yesterday, Chris Johnson, former NFL Offensive Player of the Year, bravely shared his ALS diagnosis on Good Morning America. Chris is a Bridging Voice client, and we are deeply proud to support him, including helping him create and perfect his ElevenLabs voice clone that you hear in the video. As Chris said: 'ALS has changed what my body can do, but it hasn't changed who I am.' That's exactly what voice preservation is about—helping people continue to feel and sound like themselves even when ALS takes their ability to speak. Thank you, Chris, for using your platform to bring ALS into the spotlight. 💙

Watch the full interview at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4d9vQr8L_g

"

Communication technology is incredible, but even the best technology isn't perfect. Join us on Tuesday, July 21 at 3pm E...
06/29/2026

Communication technology is incredible, but even the best technology isn't perfect. Join us on Tuesday, July 21 at 3pm ET for Communication Crash: Being Ready for Tech Failure, where we'll help you build a backup plan before you need one.

In this practical training, you'll learn:
✅ Easy no-tech and lite-tech communication strategies
✅ How to recognize and troubleshoot common device issues
✅ What caregivers should watch out for
✅ Where to turn for support when something isn't working

Whether you're living with ALS, caring for someone who is, or supporting clients, this session will give you the confidence to navigate communication challenges when technology fails.

📅 July 21, 2026
🕒 3:00 PM ET
🔗 https://buff.ly/AQB0VAn

Synchron Inc. is a leader in cutting-edge, non-surgical brain computer interface (BCI) technology, and last week, the Br...
05/19/2026

Synchron Inc. is a leader in cutting-edge, non-surgical brain computer interface (BCI) technology, and last week, the Bridging Voice team had the privilege of presenting to their R&D, clinical, and senior leadership teams at their headquarters in Brooklyn.

Having worked with more than 6,500 people and families with ALS, the Bridging Voice team has deep experience, robust data, and a library of custom innovations that we've developed along the way. It was incredible to share our insights with a team equally committed to designing solutions WITH people living with ALS, not just for them.

Several of our clients have participated in Synchron's milestone COMMAND study, a clinical trial evaluating BCI implants for people with paralysis that would enable them to control digital devices using only their thoughts. We're excited for what this developing technology could mean for the ALS community and are looking forward to continuing to collaborate with Synchron to improve quality of life for people living with ALS 💙

Thanks for hosting us, Synchron!

Worried about losing your voice to ALS? Start Here. 💙"I wish I'd done this sooner" is one of the most common things we h...
05/11/2026

Worried about losing your voice to ALS? Start Here. 💙

"I wish I'd done this sooner" is one of the most common things we hear from clients after they complete voice preservation. Your voice is one of the most personal things about you, and that's why preserving it is one of the most important first steps you can take when diagnosed with ALS.

Voice preservation is the process of capturing your voice before or as it changes, so it can continue to speak for you later. And it's never too soon — or too late — to start.

Swipe through to learn:
→ What voice preservation actually is
→ Why timing matters — and why it's still okay if you haven't started
→ How to do it for free
→ How to take the next step

Exciting news!! This week Tobii Dynavox released updates to TD Talk and TD Snap making ElevenLabs voice clones natively ...
05/08/2026

Exciting news!! This week Tobii Dynavox released updates to TD Talk and TD Snap making ElevenLabs voice clones natively supported, meaning it’s now quick and seamless for users to bring a natural, realistic voice clone into their communication device!

When Bridging Voice became one of ElevenLabs’ first nonprofit impact partners in 2024, we built free custom software so people living with ALS could use their personalized voice clones on nearly any AAC device. Seeing this integration and technology become a standard, automated feature in major AAC platforms just two years later is something we’re incredibly proud of!

ElevenLabs is now natively integrated across platforms like TD Snap, TD Talk, Grid 3, Grid for iPad, Speech Assistant, Predictable, and MindExpress! Incredible progress that helps the ALS community and so many other users facing voice loss 💙

And if you use Communicator 5 — don’t worry, you’re covered too! You can still use Bridging Voice’s custom installer to integrate an ElevenLabs voice.

Find the ElevenLabs integration instructions for all of these devices here on our website: https://bridgingvoice.org/elevenlabs/

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