Secret news about a new AAC device for children who have Autism and are non verbal.

Pssst!

Don't tell anyone, but Techcess is launching a new communication device for children with Autistic Spectrum Disorders.
Whilst we can't give out any details at this stage, it is enough to say that this device will be a handheld device which not only helps with communication but also with the management of cognitive skills.  It will also have a feature that no other touch screen device on the market has.

Here is a sneak peak of one of the first images of the product.....

Interested?

If you are a Speech and Language Therapist, working in a school supporting non verbal children with an Autistic Spectrum Disorder, then you should sign up below to be one of the first people to find out about the product as well as be eligible to be one of the first to try the device out.

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Supporting school children with Dyslexia using software - An information evening by Emma Heras

Its with great pleasure that we are able to announce that we are setting up a technology evening focusing on supporting Key Stage 2 pupils that live with Dyslexia.
The meeting will be on May 12th in the evening and will be in Cambridge, UK.

Leading the meeting will be a British Dyslexia Association accredited tutor, Emma Heras, who has her own tutor practice in Trumpington as well as working in schools across Cambridgeshire.

If you would like to attend please email John Hicks at john.hicks@techcess.co.uk and an invite will be sent to you shortly.

Many thanks

John Hicks

A wonderful way to use the Allora's detachable display.

Many of you will be aware of the launch of the all new Allora in May this year and we have had a really good response from people who are very keen to explore how the communication device can enhance the quality of communication for it's users. What makes the Allora so unique is that it has a partner display which allows the conversation partner to read what is being written by the user as well as listen to them. This technology is crucial for supporting that style of communication as it maintains eye contact between the partners whilst they converse with each other. We have been asking many people how they think that this display could be used especially as it can be detached from the device and held by conversation partners of placed in strategic positions that enhance the communication. In a recent competition our winner suggested a classroom application whereby the teacher could have the display placed in a strategic position at the front so that the user can make comments or ask questions without being lost in the sea of hands that would go up when a question is asked. More recently, one of our customers who is living with motor neurone disease purchased an Allora and did so because it meant that she could sit with her husband watching TV together side by side. The husband has the detachable display on the arm of his chair where he can see it and this meant that his wife could make comments on what they were watching without him needing to reach round to check what the display was saying. This technology allowed them to be able to do something together in a more relaxing way. If you can see other ways to use the detachable display then we would love to hear from you. If you would like to know more about the all new Allora then please take a look at out Allora web pages by clicking here.

 Keep in touch,

 The Team at Techcess

Communication Matters - The view from Techcess

It has almost been a whole week since we visited the Communication Matters National Conference.
The whole of the team from Techcess were present ( Bart, Ian, John, Martin and Neel) and for Techcess the meeting signalled a change for the company.

Many people know about Techess, but what they didn't know (until CM) was that Techcess was purchased some 3 years ago by the owners of Jabbla , Bart Noe and Jo Cremelie.
Whilst this has been a little known fact, slowly Techcess and Jabbla have effectively grown together to work as the same company which is great news for the customers of Techcess.  At CM 2013 this was a major message for our customers and is reflected in the change of branding for Techcess.

Why is this good news for customers of Techcess?

For starters, Techcess is no longer just a sales company for AAC equipment.  It is a crucial part of a larger organisation that is passionate about helping people with communication impairments.  Jabbla is always seeking to find innovative ways to use technology to support AAC needs.  Techcess feeds back everything they learn about what could be done better from their customers and this information goes back into the 'ideas melting-pot' with the aim to always make access to communication easier for Techcess customers.

What is also good for customers is that our technical support is backed up by the developer and support engineers at Jabbla too.  Techcess is not working with faceless suppliers who barely honour their warranties effectively.  They are working with a trusted partner whose agenda for business is totally aligned with that of Techcess' agenda for business.

New exciting technology

At CM this year, Techcess launched the all new Allora.  This communication aid is used by people who like to access communication via a keyboard, or a switch, or both at the same time!  Techess launched the product online in May, but CM 2013 was the first major meeting where therapists and AAC users alike could come along and take a look.
In an AAC world where it seems that consumable tablet computers are becoming very popular, it seemed to the team that there is a recognition that devices that have been designed to be dedicated communication aids are key solutions to supporting the communication of people with communication challenges.  Having a device that does communication well along with a great level of robustness seems to be something that consumable electronic devices do not necessarily provide.
Added to this the Allora gives the ability to detach the conversation partner's display which provides a whole range of interesting ways to support communication.


This novel use of display technology has important implications for using an AAC device in class at school or when sitting in a group of people.

The Team at Techcess had a really good time meeting with customers old and new and if you were there and came to visit the stand, thank you for your support.  If you didn't get to meet the team and find out more about Techcess then we are very happy to visit you to find out more about your interest. Just drop the team a line by clicking here.

Looking forward to enjoying CM with you again next year!

The Team at Techcess.

Techcess welcomes Neel Shearer, our new AAC Product Specialist.

The Team at Techcess are delighted to announce the appointment of Neel Shearer as the AAC Product Specialist.


Neel Shearer - AAC Product Specialist at Techcess

Neel has a long history of working in the world of AAC from working with famous AAC using physics professors through to working with people to understand their communication challenges, translating their needs into the designs of innovative communication technology.

We asked Neel to answer some questions about himself....

Tell us a bit about yourself?
 

'Well,I live on a farm with my wife and three young children who keep me busy!  Over the summer, I have helped my wife set up an 'Eco Campsite' which has been developed with sustainability in mind.  I also love walking, and I recently completed a 'Coast to Coast' challenge, walking from St. Bees, Cumbria to Robin Hood's Bay, North Yorkshire.
 

Why choose a career in Augmentative and Alternative Communication?
 

I seem to have always worked in this or a related industry throughout my career.  I get a lot of satisfaction from helping people to gain access to the basic human right that is communication.
 

What do you hope to achieve in your role as AAC Product Specialist?
 

To help more people find ways to communicate more effectively through using our products. 

As you settle into your new role, who will you be wanting to talk to as you travel around the UK?
 

I will happily talk to anyone, however, in this role I would be really pleased to hear from anyone who would like to explore being able to communicate more effectively using AAC or from speech and language therapists who want to do the same for their clients.

Neel can be contacted by email at neel.shearer@techcess.co.uk .

Looking forward to the Communication Matters National Conference, Leeds, 15th to 17th September 2013

It is that time of the year again!  The kids are about to go back to school, the evenings are getting darker sooner and in a few weeks time one of our favourite events is going to happen, the Communication Matters National Conference.

This is a really good conference for us to attend as it is a real mix of speech and language therapists, users of augmentative and alternative communication and the vendors that sell this equipment.

This year the keynote lecture will be by Paul Maynard MP and we will be in the wonderful city of Leeds for the first time.

So what can you expect from Techcess if you attend?

To start with Techcess will have a competition set up which is asking for creative and practical ideas on how the detachable partner display on the all new Allora can be used to enhance the communication experience for the user.  At Techcess we welcome feedback and this is a fun way to get it as the person with the most creative and practical idea will win a box of sumptuous Belgian chocolates as well as a Fortnum and Mason food hamper!  The winner will be announced at the Tuesday morning coffee break.

We will also be demonstrating the all new Allora as well as our dynamic screen technology  which is controlled by the popular Mind Express software from Jabbla .

The all new Allora 

Eye gaze technology being used with the Tellus 4 and Mind Express software.

If you are going please do come and say hello to us on our exhibition stand and don't forget that we are doing a seminar on Tuesday 17th September at 10:35 in room LG.10 Michael Sadler.

We are all excited once again for meet with so many people in the world of AAC and to gain feedback, learn and have a bit of fun at the same time!

Hope to see you there!

The Team at Techcess

A technical first? Childs voices on a keyboard based communication aid!

At Techcess we love technology that makes a meaningful impact on the lives of the users of our equipment.
One of the things that can be a constant annoyance is when someone who needs a communication aid has to compromise on what voice they want to use because there is not an available voice that really reflects them appropriately.
Lee Ridley, aka Lost Voice Guy, makes jokes about how he is a Geordie but has to sound like a posh Englishman!  Often text to speech (TTS) technology is first introduced in a female voice as the wider market of automated phone systems or satellite navigation seems to dictate that a female voice is preferable leaving out the male voice in a particular accent such as Scottish or Irish.

We are delighted that Jabbla has made available child voices for the all new Allora in both male AND female versions.  We were even more delighted that they actually sound really good.  Yes they do sound a bit posh, but at least they are reflecting the playful and childlike nature of kids.

That's what we think, but to be honest we would love to get your thoughts.  Please take a look at the video below and see what you think?

We would love to get your comments, so if you would like to tell us what you think, then please click here to email John, our guy in marketing.