Independent Living March 2014 - Volume 29, Issue 4 | Assistive Technology Australia

Extracts from the Independent Living Journal

March 2014 - Volume 29, Issue 4

Everyone CAN Communicate

Augmentative and Alternative Communication for Acquired Communication Disabilities

By Harriet Korner, Speech Pathologist, CS Manager, ILC NSW

Communication is a basic human right (UNCRPD 2006) and must be seen as essential for everyone, including people who have had a stroke, brain injury or another aquired condition impacting on communication.

Leaving hospital following a significant neurological incident without a means of everyday communication is not an acceptable outcome. However, inquiries to the Independent Living Centre NSW Info-line over the past three years have indicated that this is a common occurrence. Why is this seen as acceptable?

So what can be done to assist? This paper will provide an overview of some practical strategies that CAN be implemented and includes links to online resources where more detailed information can be further explored.

Communication Support Workers

Helping Us Connect

By Fiona Given, Community Member, NSW Guardianship Tribunal and Georgia Cranko, Student, University of Sydney

The authors, two women who live with Cerebral Palsy. share the pivotal experience of living without speech.

Fiona is a human rights lawyer, who finds getting her opinions heard at work very frustrating and challenging. Georgia is a student at Sydney University, studying Gender Studies and Psychology. She often feels left out of group discussions, and finds it difficult making small talk with her peers.

Through their different experiences, and being at different stages of lives, they share a poignant understanding of what being non-verbal entails.

Head to Head

a Comparative Study of Headmouse Options

By David Harraway and Tania Quong, Occupational Therapists, ILC Victoria

Computers and mobile devices are frequently considered to be essential tools for productivity, education, communication, environmental control and entertainment both for able-bodied people and people with disabilities. When specific technology is used to promote greater independence or to enable people to perform tasks, it is referred to as Assistive Technology (AT).

People with severe disabilities or conditions resulting in moment and strength limitations are often unable to use their hands and arms to use a mouse, keyboard or touchscreen.

However other input options are available. For example, where a person has retained the ability to move their head they may be able to use a head operated mouse. Using a head-controlled mouse involves conscious movement and steering of the head to point to and manoeuvre an object (Bates & Istance 2003).To activate a ‘mouse click’, systems can be configured to ‘dwell’ i.e. click when the pointer is hovered over the target for a predetermined interval or a switch press may also be used.

Voice Amplifiers

Considerations When Selecting Voice Amplifiers

By Jordana Vespa-Carra, Speech Pathologist, ComTEC, Yooralla Independent Living Centre

A voice amplifier is an aid which assists a person to increase the volume of their voice. It is a portable and light-weight device which is worn on the body with a strap, and consists of two parts, an amplifier and a microphone. It is battery operated, either with standard batteries, (e.g. AA batteries)or rechargeable with a specific power lead for recharging the device.

Different groups of people benefit from using a voice amplifier. From professionals like teachers to those in the community with low voice volume who experience difficulties being understood by their communication partners. Some of these people have progressive neurological conditions, such as Motor Neurone Disease, Multiple Sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease. In these conditions, communication is impaired in different ways, but at certain stages, low volume can occur and some patients require voice amplification to be better understood (Holmes, R. J., J. M. Oates, et al., 2000). Some voice or at least a whisper is required for voice amplification to be effective.

To assist in decision-making about the most appropriate microphone option/s, some questions to ask include:
- How comfortable is the microphone after being worn for a period of time?
- How easy is it to position the microphone? Will it stay in place for effective amplification?
- How big or heavy are the microphone components? (may affect comfort, positioning and/or aesthetics)

It’s a Digital World we Live in

Guide to Digital Literacy and Social Media

By Yi Hueih Lim, Speech Pathologist and Rebecca Chedid, Occupational Therapist, ILC NSW

It was hardly 10 years ago when mobile phones had black text on a screen much smaller than the physical keypad and the only functions were text and calls. Now with smartphones, you can surf the internet, shop online, make friends without meeting them in person, and do so much more...

In this “explosive” technological development,
how do you keep up with all that is out there?
What is social media?
Why is digital literacy important?

This article explains.

Assistive Technology Australia