Inspired by first responders training, Krista Davidson, a clinical professor in the Department of Communications Sciences and Disorders, developed a speech-generating application to assist first responders when communicating with nonspeaking individuals.
Monday, September 30, 2024

The University of Iowa College and Liberal Arts and Sciences’ top-ranked Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders recently developed and released an app to help first responders better communicate during an emergency with individuals who may have limited speech. 

Clinical professor Krista Davidson, recently invented the app, RescueVoice, to bridge what can be a challenging communication gap during stressful events. 

Krista Davidson

“Situations where first responders are involved can be very high-stakes and emotional events,” Davidson said. “I wanted to equip those on the frontlines of care with the tools necessary to effectively communicate with someone in these events where communication is essential.” 

For the past couple of years, Davidson and a team of graduate students have been training first responders on how to best communicate with people who have speech limitations.  

“We provide low-tech, paper-based communication boards and scenarios for them to role-play using the boards. However, each group we presented to asked, “Is there an app for that?” Davidson said. 

With that feedback, she decided to create that app.  

“In an emergency, first responders’ preparedness to communicate with a child or adult who uses augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) or are not able to communicate due to a medical event such as intubation or a stroke, is vital for the user’s health and safety,” Davidson said.  

The app will also help individuals who can’t speak due to a medical event such as a stroke or they are intubated during interaction with first responders.  

While students were not directly involved in the app's development, Davidson updated her students and asked for their input in the development process. Further, she said, the training they offered emergency responders, and the creation of the app shows the college and department’s dedication to community outreach. 

“Who we are and what we do become more visible as we present to Iowa first responders and as I presented to local philanthropic organizations to raise money for the app's creation,” Davidson said. “I feel the launch of RescueVoice demonstrates how much CLAS values ingenuity in its faculty.” 

RescueVoice is now available to download in the Apple Store and Google Play.