The IMNDA is delighted to hold an education session for Health Care Professionals on 18th June at 9:30am. This session will demonstrate a new option for voice banking to support people with MND. This is in partnership with a company called 11Elevenlabs.
ElevenLabs drive social good through their AI audio. Their Impact Program partners with non-profits like the Irish Motor Neurone Disease Association (IMNDA) to provide free licenses for projects in accessibility, education, and culture. They aim to enable 1 million voices to communicate and learn without barriers.
Naomi Fitzgibbon, Director of Nursing & Services will be hosting the meeting and she will deliver a quick introduction about the work of IMNDA and the ElevenLabs Partnership.
For the education session we will be joined by Richard Cave who is a Speech & Language Therapist & Project Manager at the MND Association in the England, Wales & N.Ireland. He has more than 15 years clinical experience and is now a PhD candidate focusing on assistive technology for people living with MND/ALS. Richard is skilled in complex assistive technology, dysphagia and tracheostomy.
We will also be joined by Ciara Amory, MIASLT who is a Clinical Speech & Language Therapist in Beaumont Hospital in Dublin. Ciara works with the MND Multi-disciplinary team. Both Richard & Ciara will be presenting an online education session about this latest technology in AI communication to Health Care Professionals on Wednesday 18th June from 9:30am – 10:30am.
If you have any questions you would like to ask on the day, you can email them in advance if you wish to: services@imnda.ie
Prof Kavanaugh delivered an online education session for Healthcare Professionals last month on “Talking to children about MND.”
Dr. Kavanaugh is a US Professor of Social Work and a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), with clinical expertise in health care professional education and caregiving research across neurological disorders. As well an international leader in program development, including YCare, a multidisciplinary youth caregiving skills and support protocol for young carers in ALS, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, and spinal cord injury and traumatic brain injury in the military connected and Veteran community.
Dr. Kavanaugh’s research informed a series of books for children, young adults, families and schools including a graphic novel translated into 11 languages. She is also president of Global Neuro YCare, an international non-profit, focused on developing language and culturally accessible programs and supports for health care professionals, children, youth, and families in neurological disorders around the globe, including the animated short film, “LUKi & the Lights”, helping children and families understand and talk about ALS/MND.
Coping with a loved one having MND/ALS is tough for adults, let alone kids. It affects all people in the family – including kids. There isn’t enough information out there to help kids understand what MND/ALS is, what role kids play as caregivers, and how to talk about these issues.
To listen back to Prof Melindas talk, please click on the link here
Helpful Links
MND Association of England, Wales & Northern Ireland
International Alliance for MND/ALS
Research Motor Neurone Disease
Irish Association of Counsellors & Psychotherapists
