I recently worked with a veteran that has poor vision and communication issues (not ALS).

We settled on GoTalk Now - a very powerful program and VoiceOver with switches. This person does not have the dexterity to touch the screen accurately.

You do not have to use VoiceOver inside of GoTalk Now, as the software has audio cues built in. If the iPad were only going to be used for communication, GoTalk Now has a way to make the audio cues private via headphones and then the message comes out the speakers - pretty slick.

If the PALS wants full access to the iPad, then VoiceOver would be the way to go outside of GoTalk Now.

Sincerely,

Antoinette Verdone, MSBME, ATP

Owner, Rehabilitation Engineer

ImproveAbility, LLC

Office: 512-522-1705

Cell: 512-497-6026

Email: xxxxxx@improveability.com

Web: www.improveability.com

Fax: 888-501-1009

Address: 7301 Burnet Rd, Suite 102-265, Austin, TX 78757

DARS Provider# 1-274278960-0-000

"One cannot consent to creep when one has the impulse to soar" -- Helen Keller

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: FW: ALS and blind
From: Alisa Brownlee <xxxxxx@alsa-national.org>
Date: Thu, April 02, 2015 12:18 pm
To: National ALS Association AT Listserv <xxxxxx@alsa.simplelists.com>

Hello fellow listservers,

Anyone have any advice for the situation below?

Thanks,

-----------------

I just spoke with the wife of a PALS with bulbar onset. Communication is difficult as his speech is severely impaired and he is also blind. Arms and hands are not affected. Do you know of any speech generating devices that would work for a pALS who is blind? He is a veteran and could obtain a device through the VA; however, the VA where he is being treated has not been able to suggest one. They provided an iPad with large letters, but the letters are not large enough to be functional for him.

Thank you for your advice. I know that you often work miracles with some great product suggestions J.