It was quite humbling and awesome walking into the Apple Shop inside my local Best Buy store today.
What did I find, but the Apple associate pulling me over to their iPad display to show me that Proloquo2Go is on the new demonstration image. When I first envisioned an AAC app on the iPhone over three years ago, I believed that it would help people and be a wild success. Little did I know how each step in the journey would unfold. What came to my mind was that this is a huge success for people with disabilities. This is a stake in the moon for accessibility. Apple has championed accessibility for a long time. Now, as the world of computing shifts beneath our feet, it is more important than ever to be considering how to build things to be universally designed. The exposure and conversations that people checking out Proloquo2Go across Apple Stores and Best Buys is powerful.
Here is a picture of me today at the Apple Shop inside my local Best Buy holding an iPad with Proloquo2Go.
Samuel Sennott holding an iPad with Proloquo2Go at an Apple Shop in Best Buy
Proloquo2Go, the most popular full featured Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) iOS App is featured on iPads at Apple Retail Stores and Best Buy locations in the United States. There are over 200 Apple Retail Stores and 1,000 Best Buy Stores in the US.
As a co-creator of the original Proloquo2Go and a PhD student at The Pennsylvania State University it means a lot to see the AAC App that I worked tirelessly on being exposed to thousands of people. When I contacted David Niemeijer of AssistiveWare about collaborating, I learned a valuable lesson. That lesson was that by collaborating you can accomplish goals better, more quickly, and in unique ways. My dream quickly became a reality, as Proloquo2Go has been one of the most successful AAC products ever created. The grassroots community that rallied behind using the iOS as a tool for people with disabilities has been simply fantastic.
As a co-creator of the original Proloquo2Go, I feel so thankful to have been able to receive so much help in spreading the word that people with disabilities who have difficulty speaking, when given the opportunity and right supports can learn to communicate. AAC is not just an app. It is a whole field dedicated to helping people get the communication systems they need. That means good assessment and evaluation. It means customization and individualization. It means teaching people to use language in augmentative and alternative ways. It means reading and writing for some and photographic symbols for others. It means high tech tools like the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad, but it can also mean sign language, gestures, and paper based communication books. Most importantly, it is about the people and those people harnessing the magic and power of communication, which Janice Light eloquently says is the essence of life.
So as I buckle back down to my PhD studies this weekend, I’ll take a last walk of the day and take a deep breath into the cool December air. I’ll think about that two years ago, I was breathing even cooler air in Vermont where much of the work of Proloquo2Go was completed together with David Niemeijer way across the ocean in Amsterdam. As I put my pen to the page tomorrow in my studies I will think about all the people I am working to help and I’ll think about all the people who have worked to help me. And I’ll know from personal experience, that if you believe in a project, seek the help that you need, and work hard enough, that very special things are possible. It is simply amazing grace.
So thank you to all the people who work at Apple, for it is because of you that a few more people will see and feel the power of AAC.
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Check out the following article and video, featuring a Proloquo2Go user and Steve Jobs commenting on the people we serve. Seeing this made me so thankful that I believed in the vision of creating Proloquo2Go. Also, it is vital that AAC moves from being obscure to being as well known as sign language, hearing aides, and braille.
Using the iPad to Connect
Parents, Therapists Use Apple Tablet to Communicate With Special Needs Kids
By JENNIFER VALENTINO-DEVRIES
It is days like this that help boost my desire to help even more as I study AAC in-depth as a PhD candidate at the Pennsylvania State University.
iBooks
On July 19, 2010, Apple updated iBooks to version 1.1.1. This update adds a key feature, “the ability to experience books that include audio and video.” This is terrific for a wide variety of learners from individuals just learning to read to experienced readers. The key component is the expanded interactive nature of digital books. This is important because iBooks is a mainstream application, not just a special education focused tool. This certainly looks to be a step in the right direction towards the goal of more universally designed literacy resources. Researchers at Penn State will be pleased about this ability, as it will empower them to start to use more interactive books on the iPad. You can see some of the work they do on this terrific website, aacliteracy.psu.edu.
Here is what the update brings:
• The ability to double-tap an image within a book in order to view it in greater detail.
• The ability to experience books that include audio and video.
• Look up definitions to English words inside books without a specified language.
• An answer to an issue that may have caused some book downloads to not complete.
• The addition of many stability and performance improvements.
Look how Origin Instruments helps this drummer reinvent his way to rock. This is one of the best assistive technology stories of the year. This is a must read/watch and share. Accessible drums
Disabled musician reinvents the drum
By Chris Welch, CNN
Beakers
I have learned so much in the 13 or so years in this field. The learning has grown exponentially, especially since I first envisioned an AAC app for the iPhone, which turned into Proloquo2Go, and as I started the PhD program at PSU. Yet, as much as I am seeing, experiencing, and learning from reading, meeting people, attending conferences, classes, researching, and more, I am realizing there is so much more to learn. There is so much to learn about how to assist the people with disabilities I work to serve. The fields of education and universal design are endless, for sure. I now believe that it is going to take more than I thought to truly make a holistic difference in the lives of these people I care deeply about. During this time of reflection in my work and life, I am again asking the question, “What will it take?”.
So with that being said, it is “back to the lab again”, where I will be working on that question systematically over time. What a gift to be here at Penn State! The people here are simply terrific. I look forward to sharing the fruits of our research work with you over the coming months and years.
This blog is very important to me and while the posts have been infrequent recently, look for them to pick up shortly.
photo credit
Sennott to Focus on Research, Sells Share in Proloquo2Go
June 3, 2010
Amsterdam, The Netherlands; State College, PA
Dear Proloquo2Go user, community member, and/or Proloquo2Go partner,
Samuel Sennott, co-creator of Proloquo2Go, is selling his share in Proloquo2Go to AssistiveWare in order to focus his research and development efforts on his PhD at The Pennsylvania State University and on his new company, Sennott Technologies, LLC.
Proloquo2Go has made a large impact on the AAC world over the two years of the collaboration between AssistiveWare and Sennott Consulting. When they came together almost two years ago, they believed they could make a difference by creating a new AAC solution that was powerful, affordable, and cool. From the amazing user community, to a front-page feature in the NY Times, Proloquo2Go has had a profound impact.
While Sennott will not continue to be a part of Proloquo2Go, he will remain fully committed to the AAC community, serving through his research and future endeavors. He has full confidence that AssistiveWare will continue to provide great service as well as many further enhancements to Proloquo2Go that will benefit the Proloquo2Go community.
David and AssistiveWare would like to use this occasion to thank Sam for the important contributions he has made to Proloquo2Go and, not in the least, his success in drawing public attention to the needs of AAC users. With his ongoing research, he will be able to make even more contributions to the field of AAC in the future. Let us all give Sam a big thank you and wish him well in his further pursuits.
Samuel Sennott would like to specially thank David Niemeijer for the amazing work we did together. He would also like to thank his father, mother, family, Deirdre, Joseph Barnick, Pam H., Sue M., Mads, the Penn State community, The DC Crew, TLC, Origin Instruments, Apple Inc. and the whole Proloquo2Go community for their support.
Best wishes,
David and Sam
I am very excited to be attending the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference this year. Things kick off with the keynote tomorrow morning 10:00 AM Pacific. If you want to follow along with the keynote live, try Macrumors.
It was terrific speaking with ABC news about Proloquo2Go on the iPad. Here is the link to the full story. You can see the video below.
The Conversation: iPad Gives Voice to the Autisti
Fox News Video: Girl with autism using Proloquo2Go
Autism: there’s an app for help. Monday March 29, 2010 Fox News in Tampa reports on a young girl using Proloquo2Go at home and at school. Click here to read the story.
