Podcasts about assistiveware

In this week's episode, speech pathologist Ashleigh Glover offers her reflections on AAC across the lifespan, a conversation between Kristen Potts and Amanda Hartmann. Kristen, a private speech pathologist, explores four AAC case studies across the lifespan with Amanda, an experienced speech pathologist and AAC enthusiast. Amanda is a lecturer at the University of Queensland, a consultant with AssistiveWare and runs her own private practice, 4 Little Monkeys, in Brisbane. Resources: Are you interested in joining the Speak Up podcast reference group? You can read more on our website: EOI Speak Up podcast reference group Amanda will be running a course for SPA starting in March 2025: AAC intervention - practical clinical strategies for SLPs: https://learninghub.speechpathologyaustralia.org.au/topclass/topclass.do?expand-OfferingDetails-Offeringid=919955 SPA member resources: Augmentative and Alternative Communication Practice Guideline: https://speechpathologyaustralia.org.au/resource?resource=122 SPA 2025 Conference Support Fund: https://www.speechpathologyaustralia.org.au/Public/CPD-events/SPA-conference/2025/Conference-support-fund.aspx Speech Pathology Australia acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of lands, seas and waters throughout Australia, and pay respect to Elders past and present. We recognise that the health and social and emotional wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are grounded in continued connection to culture, country, language and community and acknowledge that sovereignty was never ceded. Free access to transcripts for podcast episodes are available via the SPA Learning Hub (https://learninghub.speechpathologyaustralia.org.au/), you will need to sign in or create an account. For more information, please see our Bio or for further enquiries, email speakuppodcast@speechpathologyaustralia.org.au Disclaimer: © (2025) The Speech Pathology Association of Australia Limited. All rights reserved. Important Notice, Please read: The views expressed in this presentation and reproduced in these materials are not necessarily the views of, or endorsed by, The Speech Pathology Association of Australia Limited (“the Association”). The Association makes no warranty or representation in relation to the content, currency or accuracy of any of the materials comprised in this recording. The Association expressly disclaims any and all liability (including liability for negligence) in respect of use of these materials and the information contained within them. The Association recommends you seek independent professional advice prior to making any decision involving matters outlined in this recording including in any of the materials referred to or otherwise incorporated into this recording. Except as otherwise stated, copyright and all other intellectual property rights comprised in the presentation and these materials, remain the exclusive property of the Association. Except with the Association's prior written approval you must not, in whole or part, reproduce, modify, adapt, distribute, publish or electronically communicate (including by online means) this recording or any of these materials.

Is PECS out as an AAC tool for autistic kids? Today, we're diving into a hot topic in the world of autism and communication: the Picture Exchange Communication System, or PECS. Over the years, PECS has been widely used as a way for autistic children to communicate, but as new research and insights have emerged, there's been a lot of conversation—some of it controversial—around its effectiveness and limitations. In this episode, I'm thrilled to be joined by two speech-language pathologists, Paulina Elias, and Amanda Blackwell, from Natural Communication, who share their invaluable expertise on PECS and the bigger picture of AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) for autistic children. We explore how PECS started, what it offers, and why more and more professionals are moving toward more flexible, child-led communication methods that honor autonomy and individuality. You'll hear us discuss everything from the importance of giving kids the freedom to say ‘no' to strategies that empower communication beyond requests. Plus, we talk about the pitfalls of hand-over-hand prompting and the emerging preference for tools that grow with a child's communication needs. If you're an educator, parent, or anyone working with autistic children, this episode will give you new perspectives on PECS, AAC, and the role of true connection in supporting autistic communication. Get ready for a thought-provoking discussion that might change the way you think about communication support! Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Tu4rKeAM0dc Bios:  Paulina Elias, M.Cl.Sc., SLP Reg. CASLPO Paulina is a multilingual speech language pathologist (SLP) living in Canada. Although she works with people of different ages and communicative needs, she has a special interest in the areas of multilingualism, gestalt language development, and autism. Paulina enjoys collaborating directly with families and interdisciplinary teams in each person's native language. At this time, Paulina offers international consults virtually, and evaluation and intervention services in Ontario, Canada. She regularly presents internationally on the topics of multilingualism, gestalt language development, and AAC. Dr. Amanda Blackwell, EdD, SLPD, CCC-SLP Dr. Amanda is passionate about communication in all forms. She has had the opportunity to learn from a variety of people from diverse cultural backgrounds as she has lived and worked full time as a bilingual (English/Spanish) SLP in Guatemala since 2013. Dr. Blackwell teaches postgraduate courses in autism and AAC at Minot State University and Saint Mary's College, and mentors SLPD students in their capstone research projects through the MGH Institute of Health Professions and Rocky Mountain University. She loves to travel around the world (with recent trips to Spain, Argentina, Ecuador, Mexico, Paraguay, Honduras, and Sri Lanka) to collaborate with professionals in presentations, workshops, research, and autism identification (ADOS-2). Topics Covered: Podcast features Paulina and Amanda from Natural Communication discussing updates in PECS and AAC. Paulina is a multilingual speech-language pathologist from Guatemala; Amanda is a U.S. speech-language pathologist with 11 years in Guatemala, focusing on autism and AAC. Both advocate for accessible information in multiple languages, especially Spanish, and are expanding to French and Portuguese. PECS, created in 1985, is a structured communication system based on ABA principles, mainly for requests. Criticism of PECS includes its rigidity and lack of fostering true communication skills beyond requests. Hand-over-hand prompting is discouraged due to autonomy concerns; hand-under-hand is recommended for better control. Communication books should enable autonomous communication, including the ability to protest or reject. Building relationships and trust with clients is essential for effective communication and learning. The podcast calls for a shift from traditional methods like PECS to more flexible, multimodal communication strategies. Natural Communication provides resources in English and Spanish, including a crash course on Gestalt language development, and engages in research and workshops to enhance AAC practices. Listeners are encouraged to explore free printable communication boards and resources to support AAC implementation. Connect With Paulina & Amanda: Our English website (for free resources, our parent and professional courses, professional development events, and individual consultations info): www.naturalcommunication.com Our Spanish website (for free resources, our parent and professional courses, professional development events, and individual consultations info): www.comunicacion-natural.com Our socials: @natural.communication (English) and @comunicacionnatural (Spanish) Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/natural.communication/ and https://www.instagram.com/comunicacionnatural Resources Mentioned: ASHA Journal Article: https://pubs.asha.org/doi/10.1044/2023_PERSP-23-00098 Playground AAC board: https://www.prc-saltillo.com/articles/playground-core-communication-boards-from-prc-saltillo?mode=view PRC Saltillo core: https://saltillo.com/chatcorner/content/29 GRID core board: https://thinksmartbox.com/news/low-tech-super-core-resources/ Avaz core board: https://avazapp.com/avaz-aac-coreboards/ Assistiveware core boards in different languages: https://www.assistiveware.com/learn-aac/quick-communication-boards Project Core boards: https://www.project-core.com/communication-systems/ Smarty Symbols Core: https://smartysymbols.com/free-core-board-download/ You may also be interested in these supports: Visual Support Starter Set  Visual Supports Facebook Group Autism Little Learners on Instagram Autism Little Learners on Facebook Submit a question for the Q&A episodes.  Ask me anything and tune in to see if your question is featured on the show!

In this episode, we talk about why and how part-time AAC use can support authentic participation for many autistic people. We also explore Dr. Alyssa Hillary Zisk's insights on teaching AAC from their perspective as an engineer, as a researcher, and as an AAC user.Dr. Alyssa Hillary Zisk is an Autistic part-time AAC user, using a variety of text-based tools. They are the AAC research team lead at AssistiveWare. Their doctoral dissertation was on brain computer interfaces for people with ALS. View show notes and transcript at learnplaythrive.com/podcast

This week, we present Rachel's interview with Alyssa Hillary Zisk and Lily Konyn, two autistic part-time AAC users who are members of the AAC Research Team at AssistiveWare. Alyssa and Lily discuss Gestalt Language Processing, including research into using immediate and delayed echolalia for communicative purposes and why research suggests someone being a “gestalt language processor” may be more of a spectrum and less binary. They also share about things that make modeling less effective, including talking while modeling, doing “+1 modeling”, and doing “key word” modeling.    Before the interview, Chris does a banter with Rachel - in a car, in person! They talk about a co-worker of Chris who recently did a successful AAC awareness training for a Kindergarten class! Chris shares some of the positive feedback, and encourages educators to try and emulate the idea in their own school!   Key ideas this week:  

In this week's episode, Kristen Potts, private speech pathologist, explores four AAC case studies across the lifespan with experienced speech pathologist and AAC enthusiast Amanda Hartmann. Amanda is a lecturer at the University of Queensland, a consultant with AssistiveWare and runs her own private practice, 4 Little Monkeys, in Brisbane. Keep an eye on the Speech Pathology Australia Learning Hub for details about Amanda's upcoming Live Online event in October 2022. Speech Pathology Australia acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of lands, seas and waters throughout Australia, and pay respect to Elders past, present and future. We recognise that the health and social and emotional wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are grounded in continued connection to culture, country, language and community, and acknowledge that sovereignty was never ceded.

I’m joined by David Niemeijer, founder and CEO of AssistiveWare. AssistiveWare make Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) apps, that help many people communicate better in their lives. AssistiveWare have a long history of Apple applications and iOS, and so I thought I’d get him on the show to talk more about how they started and what they do. We talk product development, market fit, and the counter intuitive aspect of pricing that enables both sustainability of the product and the ability to reach users that benefit. David ✨ Links: * https://www.assistiveware.com (https://www.assistiveware.com) * https://www.assistiveware.com/products/proloquo2go (https://www.assistiveware.com/products/proloquo2go) * David Niemeijer on Twitter (https://twitter.com/niemeijerd) * David Gary Wood on Twitter (https://twitter.com/davidgarywood) * Waiting For Review on Twitter (https://twitter.com/wfrpodcast) * waitingforview.com (https://www.waitingforreview.com) Special Guest: David Niemeijer.

Mac mini Initial Review Notes   My First Experiences with Setting Up an M1 Mac (the Mac mini)   From the outside, feels like a normal Mac mini, including the physical size of the case. M1 chip inside of course with 8 cores, 8 GPU Cores, and 16 neural engine core. I deliberately purchased the standard version: 8GB RAM and 256GB hard drive. Ports: Ethernet, 2 USBC/Thunder bolt, HDMI, 2 USBA, and 3.5MM ear phone jack. Under the ports, is a wide vent for the internal fan air flow. Being a desktop, the Mac mini has to be plugged in to power, no brick as in the very old days.   Tips for setting up the M1 Mac mini though: for the initial setup you will need a monitor or at least an HDMI cable that will fool the M1 Mac mini in to thinking it has a monitor plugged in: otherwise you won’t go anywhere. I also plugged in my Magic Keyboard 2 as a USB keyboard, this made things easier. However, during the setup, the I kept having to dismiss the dialog that wanted me to connect a Mouse or Trackpad.   Once I discovered the monitor issue smile, setup was slightly different to what I was used to in setting up a Mac.  Now with Big Sur you have onboarding for accessibility, which whilst I found fantastic, just put in more options to concentrate on in the whole setup process.  By the time I got to choose using two Apple IDS, and not using Fire Vault, my concentration was getting a bit warn, and I ended up getting my I Ds back to front, and chose Fire Vault.   Once setup was complete, my Mac some how decided that I had put in the wrong password to login to the Mac.  After several attempts, I just chose a simple password, which then worked.   So usually setting up a new Mac which usually takes me less than 30 minutes, this with all the issues, took me 2 hours.   It is great to see the start up chime back, which if you don’t like it, you can turn off in System Preferences, Sound.   Once all setup and logged in, the M1 Mac mini has been a dream to use with Big Sur.   Because I am using Fire Vault, VoiceOver speech that comes up before the login prompt is using good old Fred, then after logged in, it is back to my usual Karen speech synthesiser.   I now don’t need my monitor plugged in, which was my 24 inch TV on my desk for the Apple TV, so now it is plugged back in to the Apple TV box.   The first time I ran a non Apple silicon app, I was prompted to install Rosetta, after which all of my usual 3rd party apps were fine: eg Amadeus Pro, Dropbox, Just Press Record, Twitterific, Zoom etc.   Now of course, you can run iOS apps on the M1 Macs. Searching for iOS apps on the Mac App Store is sort of relatively easy.  I tend to search for an item first, then go in to the Toolbar and choose iPhone/iPad apps over the default Mac apps, then usually above my name, is the start of the hit list which I then interact with via VoiceOver. However, when there is editorial stuff happening or other unknown things, the Mac App Store gets down wright hard to navigate with VoiceOver, I found myself searching on the web for the Mac app link which most of the time brought it up in the Mac App Store.   So far I have used (all which have worked) Frotz, Nature Space, Overcast, Sensibo, TravelEar, Voice Timer, Weather Gods, and White Noise.   When using iOS apps on the Mac, VoiceOver treats them as “normal” Mac apps.   In Big Sur, VoiceOver gives you a keyboard shortcut to get to Notifications Centre VO+O, and the new Control Centre VO+Shift+O.   The only thing I could not find in doing all my usual changes to the OS, was Announce Time, it is now under Doc and Menu with in System Preferences.   The new VO+Command+Space Actions menu comes in very very handy, and you can also access the context menu from this Actions menu.   The only slightly annoying thing I have so far noticed with Big Sur, in the Extras menu for WiFi Connectivity, you don’t get told the name of the network you are connected to.   I only got one time the dreaded “busy busy” from VoiceOver during setup.  The only time since I have gotten this is using Twitterific, but no where as bad as it used to be on my other Mac: may be once in the  last 48 hours.   The VoiceOver speech rotor VO+Command+Arrow keys, which used to take a second to switch to the next or previous parameter, is still slightly paused on the M1 Mac mini, but certainly usable.   The current time accessed with VoiceOver via Right Option+T, is again, a lot more responsive than on my other Macs: a significant delay on older machines.   As I type this, I have 18 apps open, am streaming music, and am copying files to an external hard drive.   The combination of Voiceover Keyboard commander to allow me to launch apps from the Right Shift key, and all of my favourite apps on the Dock, there is no waiting around on this M1 Mac mini: its actually VoiceOver still speaking whilst the app is sitting there ready to go.   As I said, an absolute pleasure to use.   Of Course, Big Sur is Now Available   New Control Centre, pin Conversations in Messages, and new VoiceOver VO+O command to take user to the Notifications Centre and VO+Shift+O to the Control Centre.   https://9to5mac.com/2020/11/12/macos-11-big-sur-now-available/   Victor Reader Trek 2.1 avialble     Main feature is virtual maps like Sound Scape.   Chat to Humanware about the new feature or update it from within the unit.     AssistiveWare and Acapela Announce discontinuation for the Infovox iVox voices   Here is some of the text sent to all Acapela voice users:   Dear Infovox iVox User,   (Vous trouverez ci-dessous une traduction au français du message)   Saying goodbye is never easy, but we are thankful to have you as a friend on this journey. After a long talk and much thought, AssistiveWare and Acapela Group have decided to discontinue development of Infovox iVox due to a shrinking user base and increasing development and support costs. This was not an easy decision, but with the current pandemic economic crisis, the fact that macOS allows you to download free multilingual voices, and AssistiveWare’s shifted focus toward AAC, we were compelled to bring up the topic we could no longer ignore.    The Easy Chirp app is no longer Being Maintained   This for a long time was the easy way to access Twitter via the web.

Individuals with disabilities have the right to make choices for themselves and for those choices to be honored, but what if it is hard for us to understand what those choices, likes, and dislikes are because of complex communication needs? How do we begin teaching and honoring self determination at a young age? This episodes explores 3 strategies:  Verbal Referencing Separating what is important to the individual from what is important for the individual Reframing likes into social rolls Links to items mentioned in the show are at https://www.lomah.org/podcastseason3/89 About the Guest: Erin Sheldon is mom to Maggie, a 16 year old with severe disabilities. Erin earned her master's degree studying how to support our students with complex needs in the regular classroom. She is CEO of Ontario's parent association for school inclusion (www.inclusionontario.ca). She also works for the assistive technology company, AssistiveWare. Erin has authored articles, book chapters, manuals, online professional learning modules, and more. Related Episodes: Transition Series - Episodes 86 - 97 Episode 77 : Your Body Your Boundaries Episode 50: Keeping AAC Person Centered Episode 49: Self Determination with Complex Communication Needs Episode 48: Augmentative and Alternative Communication ***Follow Kim on instagram @journey2lomah for an in depth and behind the scenes look at their journey***

In deze aflevering van '10 jaar App Store' luister je naar David Niemeijer (AssistiveWare) en Alexander Baars (Dedicon). We praten met ze over toegankelijkheid en het maken van apps voor mensen die moeite hebben met communiceren, horen of lezen. David Niemeijer is oprichter van AssistiveWare. Met apps zoals Proloquo2Go is zijn bedrijf uitgegroeid tot een belangrijke speler. De apps worden in Nederland gemaakt, maar gebruikers zitten over de hele wereld en dat geldt ook voor de support die AssistiveWare aan de gebruikers levert. Alexander Baars is ontwikkelaar bij Dedicon, een organisatie die informatie leesbaar, zichtbaar, hoorbaar of voelbaar voor mensen met een leesbeperking. Iedereen moet namelijk kunnen meedoen in de maatschappij en toegang tot informatie is daarbij essentieel. Alexander Baars (en niet Boers, zoals abusievelijk in de podcast wordt gezegd - excuses daarvoor) is nauw betrokken bij de ontwikkeling van deze apps. We vragen David (@niemeijerd) en Alexander (@dedicon) hoe het is om apps en toepassingen voor deze heel specifieke doelgroepen te maken, waarbij gebruikers toch heel verschillende wensen en behoeften hebben. De serie '10 jaar App Store' is mogelijk gemaakt door Moneyou. Ontdek meer over de Moneyou Go app, spaarrekeningen, hypotheken en leningen op moneyou.nl. Bij Moneyou regel je namelijk al je financiële zaken heel gemakkelijk zelf. Altijd en overal. #Links • https://www.moneyou.nl/ (sponsor) • https://www.iculture.nl/podcast/ • https://www.iculture.nl/podcast/10-jaar-app-store-aflevering-7/ --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/iculture/message

Check out Win's books at https://www.amazon.com/Win-Kelly-Charles/e/B009VNJEKE/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1538951782&sr=1-2-ent. http://books2read.com/Iwin Check out Danielle's books at https://www.amazon.com/Danielle-Coulter/e/B00OFIOY3C/ref=as_li_ss_tl?qid=1483655853&sr=8-2&linkCode=sl2&tag=paradimarket-20&linkId=8490a064c62cededb762ed5b949ed144. Proloquo2Go by AssistiveWare https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/proloquo2go/id308368164?mt=8Support the show

Check out Win's books at https://www.amazon.com/Win-Kelly-Charles/e/B009VNJEKE/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1538951782&sr=1-2-ent. http://books2read.com/Iwin Check out Danielle's books at https://www.amazon.com/Danielle-Coulter/e/B00OFIOY3C/ref=as_li_ss_tl?qid=1483655853&sr=8-2&linkCode=sl2&tag=paradimarket-20&linkId=8490a064c62cededb762ed5b949ed144. Proloquo2Go by AssistiveWare https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/proloquo2go/id308368164?mt=8

This week, the TWT team interviews Erin Sheldon, literacy and language development specialist for AssistiveWare and school inclusion consultant! Erin shares from her experiences working with visually-impaired AAC users, both professionally and as the parent of a teenager diagnosed with autism and Angelman Syndrome.   Before the interview, Rachel and Chris discuss some of their experiences with visual impairments and AAC, including teaching a student with CVI to communicate with visual & auditory scanning, using high-contrast images on AAC, teaching literacy using braille stickers, and the importance of AAC modeling with visually-impaired students!   Next, Erin shares about her daughter’s CVI, an impairment of the brain’s ability to process visual information. She discusses how they have taught her daughter to use a modified PODD system, and why it has been important that they have always presumed competence.  Erin also shares about:   1. Why we “can’t hold a student’s language hostage to their vision” when implementing AAC. 2. Why moving to AAC more quickly can be very beneficial to language development, because children with CVI may understand symbols better than photographs. 3. What partner assisted scanning is, why it is so important for some users, and how it can help build a language foundation faster than when communication is only verbal. 4. What verbal referencing is, and why verbalizing what you understood from a person’s behavior can help improve language development. 5. Why making grids with too few icons OR too many icons can cause students with CVI to plateau. 6. Why we need to look what someone with can access, not just what he or she can see. 7. How to take advantage of colors that are easier to visually identify for some people with CVI, and how mentioning coloring during modeling can help the child connect the color and the icon. 8. How visually-distinct, high-contrast symbols can be effective for students with CVI. 9. Why maintaining the motor plan and icon location is so important for AAC users with CVI.   We want to know what you think! You can connect with us at our Facebook group Talking with Tech, on Twitter, and Instagram (@talkingwithtech)! Also, please subscribe and post a review for us on iTunes- it helps others to find us!   For more links, information, and resources from this episode, visit our podcast page at bit.ly/twtpodcast

This week Kirk travels to WWDC for interviews:   What’s new from Apple - Sarah Herrlinger, director of accessibility programs at Apple - Sarah shares the latest accessibility tech features available to the ASD community. - Discussion about why Apple is so focused on accessibility. - Insight on the importance of designing products for users of all abilities.   App Development for the Autism Community - David Niemeijer, CEO of AssistiveWare (maker of Proloquo2Go) - In addition to being a great app developer, David has also become a thought leader in terms of inclusion around Autism and giving a great voice to Autistic adults, etc.  - How AssistiveWare is impacting families - Ways AssistiveWare goes about developing apps; how do they incorporate perspective from the Autism community. - Ways ACC is changing communication and engagement - Possibly a quick demo / show-and-tell of how app works   John Ciocca, app developer for MyVoice https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/myvoice-tap-or-type-to-talk/id1111359925?mt=8 and youBelong https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/youbelong/id1209864878?mt=8     About WWDC Below is how Wikipedia describes WWDC. Think of the event as essentially the Super Bowl for apps.   The Apple Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) is a conference held annually in California by Apple Inc., primarily in San Jose, but also in Silicon Valley (WWDC was held in San Francisco from 2003 to 2016). The event is used by Apple to showcase its new software and technologies for software developers. Attendees can participate in hands-on labs with Apple engineers, and in-depth sessions covering a wide variety of topics. Until 2007, the number of attendees varied between 2,000 and 4,200; however, during WWDC 2007, Steve Jobs noted that there were more than 5,000 attendees. The WWDC events held from 2008 to 2015 were capped, and sold out at 5,000 attendees (5,200 including special attendees).

Part 9: Buttons, Clues, and Resources - Button Types, the Clues Page, Web and Facebook Resources In this 55-minute video, David and Jennifer demonstrate the different types of buttons: Regular, Action and Folder. You will learn how to use the Clues page to help with communication break downs and where to find our comprehensive online resources to help you learn more about Proloquo2Go such as the AssistiveWare website, webinars, tutorials and manuals. Please note, viewing these videos does not qualify as attendance and will not be applied to the requirements for our Proloquo2Go trainer certificate or CEUs. However, if you want to obtain a trainers certificate you should watch these webinars at http://www.assistiveware.com/webinars where we can record your attendance.

Cette semaine, je vous propose de découvrir comment faire parler votre Mac dans la langue de Molière grâce aux voix de synthèse du groupe Acapela. Pour cela, je vais vous parler de 2 logiciels distincts: Le premier, Infovox iVox distribué par Assistiveware. Celui-ci vous permet d’utiliser les capacités vocales de Mac Os X, avec une possibilité de lecture mais surtout, d’utiliser Voice Over qui va lire pour vous l’interface, les menus les icônes. Bien évidemment cela prend toute son importance en cas de déficience visuelle. Il peut être associé à de nombreux autres logiciels pour handicap (à découvrir sur le site). C’est de celui-ci que je vais vous parler cette semaine.

Cette semaine, je vous propose de découvrir comment faire parler votre Mac dans la langue de Molière grâce aux voix de synthèse du groupe Acapela. Pour cela, je vais vous parler de 2 logiciels distincts: Le premier, Infovox iVox distribué par AssistiveWare. Celui-ci vous permet d’utiliser les capacités vocales de Mac Os X, avec une possibilité de lecture mais surtout, d’utiliser Voice Over qui va lire pour vous l’interface, les menus les icônes. Bien évidemment cela prend toute son importance en cas de déficience visuelle. Il peut être associé à de nombreux autres logiciels pour handicap (à découvrir sur le site). C’est de celui-ci que je vais vous parler cette semaine.

Walter Pfrommer était chirurgien pédiatrique lorsqu'une sclérose latérale amyotrophique (ALS) lui fut diagnostiquée en 1999. Malgré sa perte de la mobilité et de la parole, il continua à travailler : d'abord en tant que responsable d'un projet informatique à l'hôpital, puis en tant que consultant auprès de son successeur à ce poste de direction de projet. Grâce à son portable Apple équipé des logiciels AssistiveWare, Proloquo pour la communication, KeyStrokes pour émuler le clavier à l'écran avec un pointeur frontal HeadMouse Extreme d'Origin Instruments, il communiquait avec ses collègues de travail, sa famille, ses amis et ses correspondants par e-mail, en chat et via une voix synthétique d'Acapela Group. Walter voulait vivre le meilleur de la vie. Dans cette vidéo, filmée en novembre 2005, il nous emmène à son travail, au musée et au cinéma. À la suite d'une aggravation de son état, il est mort en février 2006.