Democracy Dies in Darkness

Congresswoman battling brain disorder delivers House speech using a text-to-voice app

Rep. Jennifer Wexton (D-Va.), whose ability to speak, hear and move has been affected by a degenerative brain condition, uses assistive technology to help her navigate life on the Hill.

By
May 6, 2024 at 9:00 p.m. EDT
Rep. Jennifer Wexton (D-Va.), whose speech has been affected by a degenerative brain condition, used the technology while introducing legislation on May 6. (Video: C-Span)
2 min

Rep. Jennifer Wexton (D-Va.) stepped to the microphone on the House floor Monday to speak about one of her latest pieces of legislation, as she has done many times before during her five years in Congress.

But the voice that gave the speech wasn’t hers — it was from a text-to-voice application, an assistive device she uses to help her navigate a degenerative brain condition with which she was diagnosed last year.