This document discusses communication aids and why they are needed. It explains that communication aids help people meet personal needs, manage their lives, participate in society, and access education by allowing speech, writing, emails, social media, and controlling other programs. The Grid 2 is presented as a communication aid that provides these functions using touch screens, switches, mice, and eye gaze as access methods. The document notes that while communication aids were once very expensive, options now range from inexpensive software to systems with additional hardware depending on individual needs.

1. Affordable Communication
Aids
Paul Hawes
Sensory Software International Ltd

2. Communication Aids
•
Why do we need them?

3. Communication Aids
Why do we need them?
•
What do they do?

4. Communication Aids
Why do we need them?
What do they do?
•
Do they have to be expensive?

5. Communication Aids
Why we need communication aids

6. We need communication:
Personal needs
Managing your life
Being part of society
Access to Education

7. We need communication:
Personal needs
Managing your life
Being part of society
Access to Education
We need to tell
other people about
our needs and
wishes

8. We need communication:
Personal needs
Managing your life
Being part of society
Access to Education
•
Food and Drink

9. We need communication:
Personal needs
Managing your life
Being part of society
Access to Education
Food and Drink
•
Personal care

10. We need communication:
Personal needs
Food and Drink
Managing your life
Personal care
Being part of society
•
Access to Education
Transport and
Mobility

11. We need communication:
Personal needs
Managing your life
Being part of society
Access to Education
Taking some control
of your own
life, and not simply
being passive

12. We need communication:
Personal needs
Managing your life
Being part of society
Access to Education
•
Turn on your own
TV

13. We need communication:
Personal needs
Managing your life
Being part of society
Access to Education
Turn on your own
TV
•
Manages your
own finances

14. We need communication:
Personal needs
Managing your life
Being part of society
Access to Education
Being without
speech causes
social isolation

15. We need communication:
Personal needs
Managing your life
Being part of society
Access to Education
•
Join in
conversation

16. We need communication:
Personal needs
Join in conversation
Managing your life
•
Being part of society
Access to Education
Make your
opinions known

17. We need communication:
Personal needs
Join in conversation
Managing your life
Make your opinions
Being part of society
Access to Education
known
•
Tell Jokes

18. We need communication:
Personal needs
Managing your life
Being part of society
Access to Education
Active participation
in a lesson is
essential to the
learning process

19. We need communication:
Personal needs
Managing your life
Being part of society
Access to Education
•
Ask questions

20. We need communication:
Personal needs
Ask questions
Managing your life
•
Being part of society
Access to Education
Make notes

21. We need communication:
Personal needs
Ask questions
Managing your life
Make notes
Being part of society
•
Access to Education
Creative writing

22. What does a
communication aid do?
To answer that, we need to ask “what is communication?”

23. What is communication?
•
Speech

24. What is communication?
Speech
•
Writing

25. What is communication?
Speech
Writing
•
Emails

26. What is communication?
Speech
Writing
Emails
•
SMS

27. What is communication?
Speech
Writing
Emails
SMS
•
Social Media

28. The Grid 2
Speech for symbol users

29. The Grid 2
Speech for text users

30. The Grid 2
Writing, SMS and Email

31. The Grid 2
Social Media

32. The Grid 2
Controlling other computer programs

33. The Grid 2
Controlling your world

34. Methods of access
Touch screen
Mouse, trackball, joystick, head mouse
Switches
Eye Gaze

35. Methods of access
The Grid 2 is designed for people with very severe
disabilities.
It needs to be accessible in many different ways.

36. Methods of access
•
Touch screen
About half of our
users are able to
use a touch screen.

37. Methods of access
Touch screen
•
Any device that
Mouse, trackball, joysti
works as a Windows
ck, head mouse
mouse can be used

38. Methods of access
Touch screen
The Grid 2 has many
Mouse, trackball, joystick,
switch options to
head mouse
make switch input as
•
Switches
quick as possible.

39. Methods of access
Touch screen
Initially VERY
Mouse, trackball, joystick, he
expensive – now
ad mouse
much more
Switches
affordable
•
Eye Gaze

40. Suitable systems
Some people need only the
software and a tablet
computer

41. Suitable systems
Even cheaper with Grid Player

42. Suitable systems
Even cheaper with Grid
Player

43. Suitable systems
Others may need
additional hardware
with the system
•
Amplification

44. Suitable systems
Others may need
Amplification
additional hardware
•
with the system
Switch input

45. Suitable systems
Others may need
Amplification
additional hardware
Switch input
with the system
•
Environment
control

46. Suitable systems
Others may need
Amplification
additional hardware
Switch input
with the system
Environment control
•
Wheelchair
mounting

47. Suitable systems
Others may need
Amplification
additional hardware
Switch input
with the system
Environment control
Wheelchair mounting
•
Extra rugged

48. Suitable systems
Specially made communication aids

49. Suitable systems
Add-ons for consumer tablets