Vision Considerations - Spelling Messages – Allora 2

In today's blog we welcome Tracey Bode from Zyteq in Australia who supplies talking technology to Australian speech and language therapists.
Tracey used to be a speech and language therapist and spent some time practising in London some years ago.  So she knows a lot about the considerations that a speech and language therapist makes when assigning an AAC device with a client.

Please note that whilst she refers to Australian voices on the Allora 2, Techcess can supply a range of UK English voices.

Please let me know what you think of the blog by putting a comment below;

By Tracey Bode

If individual vision issues are central to the list of considerations for choosing or using a communication device, a keyboard-based, portable system such as the Allora 2may meet the need. We are often asked how to best accommodate vision issues, where the user may have deteriorating vision, a need for large text, or difficulty monitoring the message generated in the screen.

The physical keyboard is preferred by many people over a touchscreen, and especially by those with touch typing skills.  The Allora 2 has large keys and large key labels; white text on a black background for high visual contrast.

For people who prefer to spell, typing messages on a keyboard device offers a straightforward, direct and user-friendly option.  This type of device was amongst the earliest of the communication devices which evolved from the typewriter.  The legacy is the QWERTY keyboard layout. Fortunately these devices are now high-tech computer-based systems with loud and clear high quality speech output and many speed enhancement techniques.  Amongst the many tablet based, touchscreen devices, the keyboard communication devices continue to be favoured for a number of reasons.

The Allora 2 has some handy features and settings which can be introduced when the device is first trialled, or they can be added or adjusted as needs change.

To accommodate different vision there are a number of useful features.  The main screen displays 4 rows when set to the smallest size font, but the typed text can be enlarged to 20 point font as shown in the image below.  Here one line of text is displayed.  The predicted words can be sized separately to the typed text.  The prediction can be turned off to reduce the visual information on the screen.

        

To assist with keyboard use and self-monitoring, the speech output can be set to “echo” each character as it is pressed. As the key is pressed or selected, the character is spoken.

The Allora 2 also offers scanning with one or 2 switches for input.  For someone who has vision issues and needs switch access, auditory scanning would usually be an option worth exploring.  At this stage the Allora 2 does not offer auditory scanning.  It has an auditory tone only. The scan array however can be enlarged in the same way as the font.  The scan array is shown in the images below.  With key echo activated the selected text speaks as it is entered. Almost any switch can be used to operate the scanning, whether the switch site is head, chin, foot, finger and so on. 

         

The features discussed here vary greatly from the Allora 1 which had a very basic display.  The greatest improvements in the Allora 2 relate to the visual display, and also the addition of a 2nd removeable display (also a speaker). When locked into position on the device this displays the messages for the communication partners, but it can also be removed and positioned almost anywhere or worn by a person.

  

The image below shows the now obsolete Allora 1 to show the difference in the screen size.  The keyboard remains the same size in both models.

The Allora 2 has been gaining in popularity as one of the few keyboard devices available in the Assistive Technology world. It also takes a SIM card for SMS messaging, which is a welcome feature.  The Allora 2 receives favourable reports for its high quality Australian RealSpeak voice. The other point to note is the size and weight.  The Allora 2 weighs just over 1 kg with a footprint of 225 x 180 x 20 >65 mm which is almost the same dimensions as my iPad 2.  There is a perception that due to the footprint the device will be heavy but it is just a tiny bit over 1 kg. This means the keyboard can be a reasonable size with large keys and large clear key labels.  

If you would like to learn more about adjusting your Allora 2 features please let us know and we would be happy to assist. If you would like to trial an Allora 2 we have units available for short-term trial.  The Allora 2was developed and manufactured by Jabbla in Belgium.  We enjoy working with Jabbla and their products as their cutting-edge, reliable and efficient approach fits well with our objectives, and for what Australians demand of their communication devices.  

For more information about the Allora 2 AAC device in the UK please click here.

Why we are supporting the Stroke Association's, Stroke Month.

Tomorrow will be the first of May and for the Stroke Association the start of their national campaign to raise awareness about Stroke.

A stroke happens when the supply of blood to an area of brain tissue is interrupted in some way, for example, by a blood clot or a bleed. When starved of oxygen, the affected brain cells start to die and a brain injury occurs. This can lead to problems with the ability to speak or being able to find the words that express thoughts and feelings (dysphasia/dysarthria). It can also cause physical disabilities.

Stroke is the fourth single largest cause of death in the UK and second across the world.  In fact its incidence in women is greater than breast cancer and in men that of prostrate and testicular cancer combined.
Sadly, in the UK 1 in 8 strokes are fatal within 30 days.  Click here for more statistics about stroke.

These are scary statistics, but tempered by there being many survivors (1.2m in the UK) some of whom make great progress in their recovery.

We at Techcess supply communication devices to stroke survivors through NHS based speech and language therapists and are grateful for the positive attitude that we observe in our customers as they enter and progress through rehabilitation.

We value our customers and we believe that we all have a right to speak and for this reason we commend the Stroke Association and their work to you.

Lets make May purple for stroke!

Two years in the life of Jayne, an AAC user with the Allora 2 communication aid.

Jayne has an amazing sense of humour and lives with her partner Chris and her cute little Yorkshire terrier dog, Lilly.

Jayne was diagnosed in her early years with OlivoponticerebellarAtrophy (OPCA), one of the Multiple System Atrophy (MSA) group of conditions.  This condition affects her movement and ability to speak.  In the UK, there are 3000 people diagnosed with an MSA condition every year.

In May 2013, Jayne’s speech and language therapist recommended that she supports her verbal communication with the Allora 2.  The Allora 2 is a keyboard based communication device that reads out text that is put together through typing or through using a switch.  The Allora 2 at first seemed to be a good fit because Jayne was able to put sentences together using one switch scanning with her left hand and then press the buttons that allow her to speak the text or access menus with her right hand. 

Jayne used to use a similar device but the brightness of the display and the size of the text started to become problematic.  So with a brighter daylight readable display and an adjustable display font, Jayne was able to clearly see what she was typing.  With the detachable partner display and loud speakers, Jayne’s partner Chris was able to hear and see what Jayne was saying to him clearly thus ensuring that he could meet her needs and requests.

When she first got the device Jayne said, ‘I can see the letters very clear and nice and big.  I have tried other communication aids but I have found that the Allora is the best one for me’.  But that was almost two years ago.  How is she doing now, many months later?

In that time, Jayne has been in frequent contact via SMS text using her Allora 2.  She regularly keeps in touch with her mother as well as her speech and language therapist.

I visited Jayne, in March 2015 to see how she was getting on.  I arrived at about 15:30 in the afternoon and I checked the battery level on Jayne’s device which showed a healthy 60% .  Jayne and Chris charge the Allora every night but Chris stated that the Allora easily gives Jayne all the battery life she needs to get through the day.  This is useful as this builds confidence in leaving home with the device and relying on it for communication.

Chris mentioned that he often needs to go out for shopping and other tasks and is comforted by the fact that Jayne can send him an SMS Text directly from the Allora whenever she needs to contact him.

When talking with Jayne I noticed that she is still using her right hand to press function buttons and the left to use one switch scanning to write sentences.  We discussed various aspects of her use of the Allora and it seems that her device is only a part of her strategy for communication. She still has a little ability to use verbal communication and she uses body language a lot too, to get her message across.  The Allora seems to fit in nicely with her communication strategy.

Jayne and Chris talking using the Allora 2 communication aid.

Before I visited Jayne, I contacted her speech and language therapist for her comments on Jayne’s use of the Allora.  Anna responded by saying ‘I would be happy to make some comments for you- as you know though- Jayne will be able to give you some great feedback herself I am sure. ‘

I was delighted to see that Anna was right and that Jayne could indeed tell me what she thought!

For more information on the Allora or other communication aids go to the Techcess website.