Mike McGinn, from the Philadelphia area, recently spoke at his graduation using augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). This moving video tells the story of how he developed Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) which impacted his ability to speak. Mike uses Proloquo2Go to communicate and used it to speak at the graduation.
This story shows the importance of communication and the power of AAC. I am thankful to be in this field and to have been able to have co-created something that is making a difference. Here for the video.
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Yesterday, the AAC lab here at Penn State shook under the earthquake. I looked at my colleague and she looked back at me. As we are both from the east coast, we don’t expect and certainly don’t prepare for earthquakes. As I walked home later that evening, I thought about how the AAC community has worked hard on creating awareness of the importance of individuals with complex communication needs being prepared for emergencies and disasters. On the AAC-RERC site there is a range of resources that have been created including guides, sample communication boards, and information for emergency workers. A big part of the push for the creation of these materials was due to the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The irony of being in the AAC lab during the earthquake yesterday reminded me of the importance of being prepared for emergencies.
Go to the AAC-RERC to access the materials on Emergency Communication: Disaster Preparation, Response and Recovery for People with CCN.
If you have other tips or recommendations in this area, please leave them in the comments.
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.
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.
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
