The voice giver

What an amazing day, purely by fluke I got myself invited to a meeting where this Communiction Aid was being demonstrated.

It is the latest in technology and was being shown to A a lady who I support who has no verbal communication and very limited movement. At the moment we communicate using eye movement and questions which generally require a yes or no answer

A has an old non portable system which she uses at home which uses a head pointer, this tires her easily and is not suitable to take to college, work or for social activities.

This model is a fantastic bit of kit, and a marvelous communication aid, capable of linking up to the PC at college where A can type and complete her work, it can also switch her tv to different channels, she can text and send e-mails too.

It was brilliant to see the look on A's face as it was being shown to her and the best bit was when it was calibrated to A's eye movements, she tried it out and got the hang of it instantly.

After choosing what voice she wanted A then picked out some phrases and put them together, I then heard her speak for the first time and it moved me to tears, I have known A for 4 years and so this for me was a wonderful moment.

A was asked what she thought of it and whether she would like a trial period. She was overjoyed and it was so exciting for everyone to hear her answer

A won't get the trial until May so it gives us some time to get funding and maybe donations from local companies.
How much for this you ask?......... it costs £11.000

It may sound a lot but you really can't put a price on having a voice, to be able to have an opinion, and be able to get your point across.


The best day of the year so far