Comments on: Roger Ebert shows us that when there’s a will there’s a way http://keepworkinggirlfriend.com/2008/04/07/roger-ebert-shows-us-that-when-theres-a-will-theres-a-way/ Mon, 25 Apr 2011 13:13:58 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: ebert roper http://keepworkinggirlfriend.com/2008/04/07/roger-ebert-shows-us-that-when-theres-a-will-theres-a-way/comment-page-1/#comment-2703 ebert roper Mon, 26 May 2008 08:03:04 +0000 http://keepworkinggirlfriend.com/2008/04/07/roger-ebert-shows-us-that-when-theres-a-will-theres-a-way/#comment-2703 [...] away from a brain tumor as I recall. ebert has been off his show for at least a year, and it??s justhttp://keepworkinggirlfriend.com/2008/04/07/roger-ebert-shows-us-that-when-theres-a-will-theres-a-wa...&quotGames will never be as worthy as Movies&quotRoger Ebert, from &quotEbert &amp roper at the [...] [...] away from a brain tumor as I recall. ebert has been off his show for at least a year, and it??s justhttp://keepworkinggirlfriend.com/2008/04/07/roger-ebert-shows-us-that-when-theres-a-will-theres-a-wa…&quotGames will never be as worthy as Movies&quotRoger Ebert, from &quotEbert &amp roper at the [...]

]]> By: Jesse the K http://keepworkinggirlfriend.com/2008/04/07/roger-ebert-shows-us-that-when-theres-a-will-theres-a-way/comment-page-1/#comment-2241 Jesse the K Wed, 23 Apr 2008 02:32:50 +0000 http://keepworkinggirlfriend.com/2008/04/07/roger-ebert-shows-us-that-when-theres-a-will-theres-a-way/#comment-2241 Not only would it require several years of study to learn ASL, Mr Ebert would need an interpreter as well. However, people with speech impairments (due to a wide variety of causes) have been using special-purpose "alternative augmentative communication" AAC devices for years. They're finally becoming widely affordable thanks to mass market computers with speech synthesizers. Users can input their speech in many ways: a keyboard, a single switch, an eyeblink, and then the computer turns that text into speech. The most famous user of AAC is undoubtedly the astrophysicist Stephen Hawking. Other people who find AAC the way to go include people who've had strokes, have CP or other impairments that interfere with the mechanics of speech production, or have mutism due to autism or other cognitive disorders. Not only would it require several years of study to learn ASL, Mr Ebert would need an interpreter as well.

However, people with speech impairments (due to a wide variety of causes) have been using special-purpose “alternative augmentative communication” AAC devices for years. They’re finally becoming widely affordable thanks to mass market computers with speech synthesizers. Users can input their speech in many ways: a keyboard, a single switch, an eyeblink, and then the computer turns that text into speech.

The most famous user of AAC is undoubtedly the astrophysicist Stephen Hawking. Other people who find AAC the way to go include people who’ve had strokes, have CP or other impairments that interfere with the mechanics of speech production, or have mutism due to autism or other cognitive disorders.

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