By Fadel Rah, PRC-Saltillo Ambassador
When I first meet and talk to people in public with my device the reaction is “WOW”, “How does he do that?” and the discussion starts about how I use my device. The excitement becomes even bigger when they know that I am using my eyes to control the device. I start by explaining how eye tracking works on my Accent 1400, then I explain that I look at my device and it tracks my eyes and then I pick what I want to say, either by typing words or by clicking on preprogrammed buttons.
Typical types of questions are usually about access to the internet and the possibility of using my phone. Some people even ask my parents or my caregiver if I am able to understand English. Others talk to me slowly thinking that it will be hard for me to follow. When the answer is “yes” about access to internet and the use of my phone through my device, people get more curious. A simple demonstration gives them full picture of what a person can do using an AAC device.
One day, while I was in the mall, spending some time and looking for good deals, I met this girl, Elizabeth (I knew her name later). She was curious about the device, and how I was interacting with my caregiver. It was clear that she wanted to know about the device, but was shy to ask. I took the initiative to engage her using my device with the volume at max, saying a simple “Hi”. The discussion started about the device showing her how it works. I talked to her using my device. She was impressed, because she had never seen anything like that. The discussion switched to other topics. We talked about our hobbies: soccer, jet ski, gaming on PlayStation, and more. I found out that we share some hobbies, especially soccer.
What was important is that the discussion became between two people, forgetting about the disability with the help of the Accent 1400. We exchanged phone numbers and had the opportunity to meet many times. We became friends, thanks to my device.
The same story happens on a daily basis with stores’ employees, people walking in the street, seniors enjoying their day at the park, and with others.
I started using AAC devices more than16 years ago, I was 8 years old, before my current one, the Accent 1400. Each device (head pointer on a touch screen, reflective point, eye gaze) helped in a way. I am becoming a professional user of the Accent 1400 to the point I helped someone fix issues with the device. My best time using my device was when I spoke at Congress, The House and The Senate, about the AAC devices and how they help people with special needs.
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