We recently loaned a Recordable Bar story sequencer to a Scottish charity which provides day services for people with disabilities. They were initially going to use it in their cafeteria to help people make choices from a menu. Feedback on the loan has been very positive:

"We used this piece of equipment as a menu board for a group with diverse communication needs and they all loved being able to make their choice."

The device was "really accessible, met the needs of most of the group and could be used for so much more."

The charity have now bought eight of the Recordable Bars from Inclusive Technology and will be using them for a variety of purposes to help the people who use their services.

The CALL Loan Bank can be used to assess whether a piece of equipment meet's a client's need without having to risk spending money on a device that may or may not be suitable.

Some people struggle to use a standard mouse  on a computer, so various alternatives have been devised over the years, including track balls, joysticks and trackpads. The CALL Loan Bank of Equipment and Resources includes many examples of these alternatives. Additional funding from the Scottish Government recently gave us an opportunity to update and expand our stock of equipment for people who "hate those meeces to pieces"! Here's information about some of the new devices that we now have available for loan:

Single Button Mouse

Teachers of young pupils with additional support needs sometimes come to us looking for a solution to suit a pupil who keeps hitting the right-button of a PC mouse, by accident or design, potentially causing major disruption to an activity. There are various solutions, including 'surgery' to remove the micro-switch beneath the right-button, and various software solutions to disable the button. These can be awkward if different people use the computer and some want to be able to access the right-button. In the past we would sometimes recommend the use of a Mac mouse (the original iMac mouse was particularly suitable) as they only have one button, but in recent years the Mac mouse has become more complicated with the addition of a scroll button and other features. The Chester Single Button Mouse is a simple, small mouse with a single button, designed specifically for young children who can benefit from a simplified mouse. It has a USB connector which allows it to be quickly plugged into the computer and removed when no longer required.

Trackballs

A trackball can be seen as an 'upside down' mouse, with the ball on the top of a solid base. The ball is usually moved by the fingers or the hand, though it can be moved by whichever part of the body the user is best able to control it with. The most frequently borrowed trackball that we have is the KidTRAC / MaxTRAC. The KidTRAC has coloured coordinated buttons, including a 'drag lock' button which makes it easier to move objects about on the computer screen. It is possible to replace all or any single button with a switch to separate the 'cursor movement' and 'button press' activities, reducing frustration for many users with poor motor control. We purchased additional units with USB connectors to increase their availability.

We have also added a BIGtrack and the IT Roll Starter Pack to the Loan Bank. The BIGtrack is an upgraded version of the old KidTrack, now incorporating sockets allowing switches to be used in place of its buttons. It has a large (3" diameter) ball and is aimed at young children.The IT Roll is a wireless trackball, with accompanying receiver, which would be particularly suitable for use with an interactive whiteboard.

Joysticks

A joystick can be a useful alternative to the mouse, particularly as many children are used to using (or seeing) a joystick to control a wheelchair or a computer game. (Note that you can't use a 'games' joystick to replace a mouse without a lot of fiddling with specialist software.) A number of specialist joysticks are available. The one that we have found most popular in the past is the Roller Joystick II, so we've added a couple to the Loan Bank. It comes with a choice of handles - a standard joystick, a T-bar, or a sponge ball.

We've added an Optima Joystick and a Mini PointIt joystick to the Loan Bank. The Optimax is a wireless joystick, similar to the Roller Joystick, though with a lower profile. The Mini PointIt is a small, accurate joystick, suitable for somebody with limited movement, but fine motor control.

Digitising Pad / Tablet

The digitising pad is a device with a smooth reactive surface that can be used to control the mouse pointer by finger (like the pad on most laptops) or with a finger. Finger control can be suitable for someone with limited movement, while the use of a stylus can sometimes help a person with RSI-related conditions arising from overuse of a mouse. The Wacom Bamboo Fun Pen and Touch Tablet can be used with either a finger or a stylus.

Other Options

This article has focused on some of the new additions to the CALL Loan Bank. Go to the CALL Equipment Bank and search for 'Mouse or Alternative' to see some of the other options that we have available. If you are looking to find out about commercial options currently available, we suggest looking at the Inclusive Technology, QED and Keytools web sites.

Using the CALL Equipment Bank

The CALL Loan Bank contains a wide range of equipment that can be used to support the communication needs of people with disabilities. Equipment available for loan includes:

• simple communication aids
• complex communication aids (note that in some cases these can only be borrowed if adequate speech therapy support is available for the loan)
• switches, interfaces and mounting systems
• specialist mouse and keyboard alternatives
• reading and writing aids
• switch-accessible toys

Loans are made for evaluation purposes and generally last for up to two months. There is no charge for loans. Most loans are made to Scottish schools for use by pupils with additional support needs, but the loan bank can also be used to support adults with disabilities in the community in Scotland. Further information is available in the Equipment Bank section of this web site.

Some people struggle to use a standard keyboard, so there are a number of alternatives available to support a variety of potential users. The CALL Loan Bank of Equipment and Resources includes many of these alternative keyboards. Additional funding from the Scottish Government recently gave us an opportunity to update and expand our stock of keyboards. Here are some of the new keyboards that we now have available for loan:

Jumbo Keyboards

There has always been a demand for keyboards with big, 'chunky' keys, with large lettering that are accessible for children with low vision, learning disabilities, or who have a physical disability that makes targeting difficult on a standard keyboard. Jumbo keyboards have been aiming to meet this need for a number of years, initially positioning themselves to compete with the more expensive Big Keys keyboards. The Jumbo has most of the keys present on a standard keyboard, only missing the numeric keypad, the Print Screen key and a couple of others; the Function keys are present, but have been reduced in size. The standard keys are enlarged, measuring 2.5 cm at the base, tapering to just under 2 cm at the typing surface. In some models, the letters (available in UPPER and lower case script) fill the space available, making them easy to read. Keys are colour coded, with consonants in green, vowels in purple, numbers in red, punctuation in yellow and the 'modifiers' in blue. Unlike some other alternative keyboards, there are Shift keys on both sides, allowing the user to attempt to use the 'correct' fingering for typing, though the size of the keys makes it unlikely that anyone could use the keyboard for 'touch' typing.

We have a number of different models available for loan:

• White keyboard and keys, with black UPPER case lettering
• White keyboard and keys, with black lower case lettering
• Black keyboard, coloured keys with white UPPER case letters
• Black keyboard, coloured keys with white lower case letters

We also have keyguards for a couple of the keyboards. A keyguard is a rigid sheet of clear Perspex (for the BIGKEYS) or non-transparent metal (for the Jumbo) fitting over the keyboard, with holes cut to match the position of the keys. Some peoole think the non-transparent keyguard is less distracting, visually. A keyguard isolates individual keys, making it easier to hit the right key without mistakenly hitting others en route, and also allows the user to rest their wrists / hands on the keyboard while they find the key they want.

Large Print Keyboards

We have also added to the range of Large Print keyboards that we have. Large Print keyboards are standard keyboards, but with the lettering on each key using a bold font and filling the space available. (The lettering on a standard PC keyboard typically uses only a quarter of the space available.) Different colour combinations are available, including white lettering on black keys; yellow on black; black on yellow. Similar effects can be achieved using keyboard stickers, but it can be less hassle to use a pre-printed keyboard, avoiding problems with stickers falling off.

Large Print keyboards are aimed primarily at people with low vision, or who require high colour contrast. They are much more suitable than large key keyboards (like the Jumbo) for somebody to learn to touch type.

Key Needs Special Keyboard

This is a large keys keyboard, similar to the Jumbo, but with a more restricted key set. There are no Function keys and there is only one Shift key. Lettering is in a child-friendly font, similar to Comic. This keyboard is aimed at young children who need enlarged keys, but do not require the added complication brought by Function keys. We have versions with black, upper case lettering on white keys and with white lettering on coloured keys.

Other Keyboards

The keyboards mentioned above were all purchased recently. We have many others that are also available for loan, including:

• Compact / Mini keyboards - we have a number of different models, all with a standard keyboard layout, but with small keys positioned close together. They are suitable for somebody typing with one hand, or who has limited finger movement.
• One handed keyboards - these are specialist keyboards (like the Maltron, FrogPad and CyKey) designed specifically for use by someone who is only able to type with one hand. While they generally have clever design features and are useful for some people, we generally find that people with physical disabilities prefer the familiarity of a standard keyboard layout, albeit they may consider using a compact keyboard.
• Ergonomic Keyboards - these are aimed primarily at touch typists and encourage the user to hold their hands at an ankle most likely to reduce problems of Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI)

Using the CALL Equipment Bank

The CALL Loan Bank contains a wide range of equipment that can be used to support the communication needs of people with disabilities. Equipment available for loan includes:

• simple communication aids
• complex communication aids (note that in some cases these can only be borrowed if adequate speech therapy support is available for the loan)
• switches, interfaces and mounting systems
• specialist mouse and keyboard alternatives
• reading and writing aids
• switch-accessible toys

Loans are made for evaluation purposes and generally last for up to two months. There is no charge for loans. Most loans are made to schools for use by pupils with additional support needs, but the loan bank can also be used to support adults with disabilities in the community. Further information is available in the Equipment Bank section of this web site.

Handheld, battery-operated spellcheckers have been around for many years. To some extent they have been overtaken by spellcheckers built into word processors, or web-based systems, such as Spellcheck.net, but the handheld devices can still be very useful in schools, particularly for handwriting tasks. The Franklin devices have always been good at finding the correct word from an incorrect spelling - particularly when a phonetic spelling is involved, but there is always the issue of having to transfer the correct spelling from the device to handwriting.

CALL Scotland has had various Franklins available for loan over the years, but we recently purchased a couple of new devices so that the models we have more closely represent the current market.

Franklin Talking Dictionary (KID-1240) This is a relatively simple device, most suitable for use with primary-age children. Type the word to be checked. If the word is in the 44,000 word dictionary a definition will be offered, to help make sure it is the right word. The definition can be read back - speech is slow, with an American accent. If the word is not in the dictionary, various alternatives will be offered one at a time in a scrollable list. There is no real support for homonyms, other than using the dictionary definition, nor is there a thesaurus. The Talking Dictionary also includes a rhyming word facility and various word games (Hangman, Jumble, Flashcards, Guess that Word and Tic Tac Toe.) The text on the display is large, but there are occasional irritating animations.

Franklin Speaking Language Master (LM-6000b) The Language Master is a more sophisticated device, combining a speaking dictionary with a thesaurus and grammar guide. The screen is bigger than the one in the Talking Dictionary, but the text is smaller, allowing up to seven options to be shown when an incorrect word is typed. The ordering of the list is slightly better than in the Talking Dictionary, for example 'Phone' is first suggestion for 'Fone' in the Language Master, but is second choice (after 'Fawn') in the Talking Dictionary. The Language Master has a 130,000 word dictionary, with 300,000 definitions and 500,000 thesaurus entries. It has 12 built-in games, providing lots of opportunities to experiment with and develop language skills.

Using the Language Master as a Communication Aid

The Language Master can be used as a simple, relatively low-cost, text to speech communication aid. Simply type the sentence to be spoken and press the Say key. Voice quality is not great and the keys are small, requiring good fine motor control, but it could certainly be used 'in an emergency' by somebody with good literacy and typing skills, who may be unable to speak.

Using the CALL Equipment Bank

The CALL Loan Bank contains a wide range of equipment that can be used to support the communication needs of people with disabilities. Equipment available for loan includes:

• simple communication aids
• complex communication aids (note that in some cases these can only be borrowed if adequate speech therapy support is available for the loan)
• switches, interfaces and mounting systems
• specialist mouse and keyboard alternatives
• reading and writing aids
• switch-accessible toys

Loans are made for evaluation purposes and generally last for up to two months. There is no charge for loans. Most loans are made to schools for use by pupils with additional support needs, but the loan bank can also be used to support adults with disabilities in the community. Further information is available in the Equipment Bank section of this web site.

A new item in CALL is the Hue HD Studio which includes a webcam and animation software. The animation software (Zu3D) is available for both Mac and PC and the webcam comes in 5 different colours. The webcam can be bought separately so can be used, for example, with other animation software such as I Can Animate from Kudlian, in videoconferencing (GlowMeet) or even as a (very) cheap visualiser or document camera to share documents, science experiments, pupils artwork etc with the whole class. It plugs into the USB port either directly or for greater flexibility usingthe supplied 1.8m cable, has a good quality picture and an internal microphone which picks up sound well. There is also a button on the back of the camera which brings up the snapshot function when plugged into a compouter using the supplied AMCap camera software (WebCam Monitor on a Mac). This can also be used to record video.

Go to the Hue Animation website to see a video of a group of young children exploring the Zu3D software and making their own short video. If you buy the package it even comes with some plasticine to get you started but using plastic models and lego can be quicker to get going. The Zu3D website has ideas for using the software in the curriculum (Learning Tools), a useful video tutorial and a link to download a demo version to try it out.

Quite a number of schools in Scotland already have other animation software such as I Can Animate form Kudlian Software. I Can Animate is available for Mac, PC and as an App on the iPhone and iPad. The Kudlian website has links to a tutorial, a number of resources and a link to download a version that can be used for 5 days before purchase (or removal).

For an opportunity for hands on training CALL Scotland is running a half day of workshops on Saturday 1st October and I Can Animate is one of the sessions to choose from. Go to the CALL Scotland training area for more information.

CALL has recently added the Tobii C12 and the Tobii C15 communication aids to its equipment loan bank. These are both high-end, fully featured PC Windows 7 based communication aids, that can be controlled in many ways, including the built-in touch screen, keyboard, mouse, headmouse, switches, joystick, or the optional eye gaze control unit, the Tobii CEye which slots on to the bottom of the device.

The C12 and the C15 are essentially the same, except for size. The C12 has a 12.1” touch screen and weighs 6.5lbs. (2.9 Kgs), while the C15 is larger, with a 15” touch screen and weighing 8.9lbs (4 Kgs). Both are ‘mountable’ on a table or wheelchair mount, rather than ‘portable’ (N.B. adding the eye gaze control unit increases the weight further and means that the device must be mounted – can’t use the integrated stand.)

Both devices come with Tobii’s own communication aid software installed (Tobii Communicator with Symbol Stix symbols), and the possibility of using the Tobii Sono Suite (for text and computer access). However, CALL has also installed The Grid 2 software, which is more familiar to many users (and has Widgit symbols built-in). PCS symbols can be added. Users can choose which software they prefer to use for personal communication via symbols and/or text. Either software gives access to e-mail, text messaging and chat, internet access and access to other computer applications. CALL has added the Scottish Voices, Heather and Stuart, to both devices.

These devices seem to be proving popular across the AAC community. The Tobii hardware offers: long-lasting hot swappable batteries; powerful processor (Intel Core Duo U2500); shock-mounted hard disk drive (60 GB); silent operation; 4 powerful stereo speakers; and a built-in camera. Infra-red environmental control facilities are also built in. The OS appears to be stable. The devices have a streamlined look, with a moisture-sealed surface, and no buttons on the front to distract the user. There are interchangeable side panels in different colours (though – small gripe – these don’t seem to fit too well, on our C15.)

The C15 might be a replacement for the original My Tobii P10 eye gaze computer, (no longer made) in that the large 15” screen area allows display of more symbols and text - or larger, more legible symbols that are easier to see and select. The large screen also provides more screen estate for running other Windows applications.

(But if you only want to run Windows applications, and don’t want a communication aid, the other P10 replacement you might want to look at is the PC Eye - which CALL has also just bought for the loan bank – see separate CALL Blog item, coming soon!)

The C12 is comparable in size & weight to its nearest AAC competitor, the DynaVox V Max + (which also allows attachment of an eye gaze unit) but for d irect access users, the C12 is significantly bigger and heavier than the DynaVox Maestro or the Vantage Lite.

If a user can access the smaller device, the C12, successfully, it is obviously desirable to have the most compact device possible, and also means the user’s face is not as ‘blocked off’ from communication partners, as it might be by a big device (better for wheelchair driving, too).

As with all CALL’s comp lex communication aids, these devices will be available on loan to CALL assess ment clients (as a priority) and to others who have undergone training in their use. However, these devices are on ‘restricted’ loan in that they will be being used a lot by CALL for assessment, and for demonstrations and training, so not available to people who might just want to ‘have a look’. (NB. The CEye eye gaze control unit is a separate equipment item, and CALL only has one of these, so it can only be attached to the C12 or the C15 at any given time, not both.)

Tobii S32 Scan

The Tobii S32 comes in Touch and Scan models. CALL has the Scan model, which is more expensive but has more features, so is good for assessments.

The Scan model can be used with direct touch to the buttons and a set of 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 16 or 32 keyguards, which come with it , or by 1 or 2 switch scanning.

The S32 Scan plays back pre-recorded messages, or IR signals and environmental controls and has up to 60 hours of recording time.

It works by using a barcode system, so you can record hundreds of messages or sounds into the device, but it will only play back messages that relate to the overlay that is inserted at the time.

Overlays are made using Tobii SymbolMate software, which comes with the device and has to be used to make the overlays (rather than e.g. Boardmaker), as it prints out a unique barcode along the top of the overlay so that the correct recordings can be recognised by the device.

Symbolmate comes with over 15,000 Symbolstix symbols, but also supports PCS, Widgit and other symbol sets, which need to be purchased separately. CALL's Symbolmate software uses the Symbolstix symbols.

There are a variety of switch access settings and auditory recorded prompts can also be used for those with processing or visual difficulties.

The scan light is a small green light at the top right of the cell, which is not especially clear or easy to follow.

The device does have some nice additional features like 'function cueing' where you can have from 2 to 6 buttons pressed in sequence and then spoken out in full at the end (to encourage sentence building). However, it is a rather expensive for a paper-based recorded speech device and requires getting familiar with new overlay-making software and keeping track of all the overlays which are created.

Tobii Communication Devices

Tobii are best known for their 'MyTobii' eye gaze technology, but actually make a range of devices. 

• the original P10 eyegaze computer
• the new C12 and  C15 communication aids
• CEye eye gaze control unit (for use with C12 and C15)
• the PCEye control unit for eye gaze access to a computer
• portable communication aid called the C8 (no eye gaze access)
• medium tech aid with recorded speech called the S32

CALL have recently purchased this whole range of devices, which are available on 'restricted loan' to assessment clients and will also be used for demonstrations and training.

The following few blogs will give an overview of each of the devices, what they can do and who they may be suitable for.

Tobii C8 communication aid

The Tobii C8 is a computer based communication aid with an 8.4 inch (20.5cm) touchscreen. It is lightweight (1.8kg) and powerful and can be used either as a portable or wheelchair mounted device. It has long battery life ( 6hrs ) and also has hot swappable batteries so you can charge the device without having to turn it off and take it away from the user. The interchangeable coloured side panels make it easy to customise (green, pink, blue, purple) and the two powerful stereo speakers give the C8 great sound quality. It has a stand and a removable carry strap, but no built-in handle.

The main difference between the C8 and the larger C12 and C15 devices is that it has 2 speakers (they have 4) and that while the C8 can be used with a variety of access methods (direct touch, 1 and 2 switch, joystick, etc)  it cannot accommodate eye gaze access (whereas the C12 and C15 can).

This device could be suitable for users who need a light-weight portable device with synthetic speech and who would like to use additional Windows based software and Sapi 5 Scottish voices, which cannot be used with designated communication devices at a similar level e.g. Vantage Lite.

The C8 comes with Tobii Communicator Standard edition package, which includes several communication programs allowing communication using text or with over 15,000 Symbolstix symbols. The CALL device includes the upgrade, Tobii Communicator Premium, which includes email, text messaging and environmental control. Acapela voices are included with the device and you can also use recorded speech, if required. The device also has a built-in camera so that the user can take photos and use them on their communication pages.

As the C8 is Windows 7 based, other communication software can also be installed and CALL's C8 has the Grid 2 as an alternative option to Tobii Communicator. Being Windows based also means that Sapi 5 voices like 'Scottish Heather' and the soon to be released 'Scottish Stuart' voice are installed on this device ready for use, as well as on the C12 and C15.