Heading with information:
Spring Vol 33
The Quarterly Journal
March 2017
Texas Technology Program
Image of a flat field full of bluebonnet flowers and grass, with a longhorn laying down and one grazing next to it and an old barn in the background.
In this issue:
We Will Miss You!
May: Better Hearing & Speech Month
The Human Voicebank VocaliD
Demonstration Center Feature
New Devices for Loan
Did you know?
What’s Coming Up?
Loan Program Feedback
Welcome to TTAP (Texas Technology Access Program) and our Newsletter! This spring we have some great new things to warm you up andwe are happy to share what may interest, or benefit you. We thank you for your support of our services. If you have any ideas or suggestions that you’d like to see us publish or devices you’d like to see in our Loan Program, please feel free to let us know and email: Olivia Rains
Graphic sign of rustic color red and lights on the letters that spell “We will miss you” and a heart between we and will and miss and you. There are arrows one on each side pointing towards the words.
Our team member Darlene West will be retiring at the end of March after being with TTAP 8 years! She has been a grand, positive addition to the team by wearing many hats such as, in charge of and contributing to the growth of our loan program, starting the TTAP quarterly newsletter, attending conferences, and so much more! She has an extensive background of experience and knowledge in Blind Services. She has built a solid service and relationship in our loan program helping tons of families, patients working with therapists and the community. She will be sorely missed, as well as her can-do attitude, her kind spirit and joyous presence in the office.
A headshot photo of Darlene West, short red hair, glasses and a dark teal shirt.
Header written: Better Hearing & Speech Month with an imagine below the words, an eye, lips, an ear, and a hand.
Kids and Technology:
How are you Today’s Devices Affecting Communication?
In a new poll, more than 500 communication experts – audiologists and speech-language pathologists – weighed in. Here’s what they said:
The #1 concern of speech-language pathologists is that excessive tech use is replacing conversation and human interaction. (a graphic image in blue of a mouth vocalizing and an ear listening) (a light grey image of a mouse, a smartphone and phone with ear buds) The #1 concern of audiologists is repeated misuse of personal tech at loud volumes that could potentially damage children’s hearing.
(Graphic version of a desktop computer monitor in green) If these concerns are left unaddressed, 68% foresee widespread tech overuse as a potential “time bomb” that could irreparably damage the communication skills of future generations.
(Graphic of a clock in yellow) The good news: The solution isn’t complicated. 70% say their number one piece of advice is for parents to set reasonable parameters and model safe usage.
(Graphic of a pair of head phones in teal) Experts favor a balanced and realistic approach. Believe it or not, less than 2% advocate for tightly restricting children’s tech use. Half favor a multipronged, balanced approach to best reach kids.
(Graphic image of a pair of lips in red) Communication Takes Care. Better Hearing & Speech Month. (small logo image of 2 profiles with lines coming from their mouths symbolizing sound) American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.
Graphic drawing of a woman with a hair bun at a profile speaking into a microphone that is connected to boxes with volume symbols on them in front of five other people with white coats on and glasses.
VoiceiD
Over ten million people live with voicelessness. Much like Stephen Hawking, they rely on text-to-speech devices to express themselves. Yet, young or old, male or female, shy or outgoing — they all speak with similar voices.
Add to that the hundreds of millions who use generic sounding virtual assistants, GPS navigation and screen readers. Digital voices must evolve.
VocaliD is the voice company that is bringing speaking machines to life. They leverage their voicebank and proprietary voice blending technology to create unique vocal persona for any device that turns text into speech.
At VocaliD, they believe that voice is an essential part of identity. It can convey your age, size, lifestyle, personality, and so much more. Founded in May of 2014 and based in Belmont, Massachusetts, VocaliD empowers the preservation, restoration, and creation of vocal identities.Until now, the creation of synthetic voices began with auditioning a voice actor. They recorded speech in a professional studio for days or weeks. An army of engineers and linguists then spent three to four months laboring over the recordings to synthesize a voice. Digital voices were expensive and generic — until now.
Now, any voice can be heard.By crowdsourcing the collection of voices, anyone can record from the comfort of their own home. Share your voice with others, or bank it for yourself. Over 14,000 speakers from over 110 countries have contributed over 6 million sentences to our growing spoken repository, The Human Voicebank.
Even if you're unable to bank your voice, they can reverse engineer it with just three seconds of sound. Their algorithms use that sample to find a matched speaker within the Voicebank and blend your vocal DNA with their recordings. The result is a personalized digital voice that preserves the match's clarity, and conveys your unique vocal identity.Your custom voice can be used on any device that talks — no extra setup required. Bring your words to life through your voice. Click here: to get started today!
Photo of a header with a dark open space with a spotlight shining down from the right hand corner and the light is in tones of white and blue. At the top above the light reads: Demonstration Center Spotlight. In the spotlight reads: LifeRUN Center for Independent Living. 8240 Boston Avenue, Lubbock, TX 79423. 806-795-5433.
The ILS program provides services, equipment and technology that can assist people with disabilities, including those who have Hearing or Vision disabilities, to function more independently in their homes, family and community. Some of the services that may be provided are:
counseling and guidance;training and tutorial services;
adult basic education;
rehabilitation facility training;
telecommunications, sensory and other technological aids for people who are deaf;
vehicle modification;
assistive devices such as artificial limbs, braces, wheelchairs and hearing aids to stabilize or improve function; andother services as needed to achieve independent living objectives, such as transportation, interpreter services and maintenance.
To make an appointment with them, contact:
8240 Boston Avenue
Lubbock, TX 79423
806-795-5433
New Devices for Loan (words in rainbow color)
Beginning April 1st, 2017, Ana Canevaro will be contact for our Loan Program 512.232.0773
Photo of a silver framed black clock and white numbers.
Hear the time at the press of the top button with this large white numbers and hands on a black background visual quartz analog clock with LCD readout. Lightweight enough to take with you when traveling or moving from room to room. Features: hourly time announcement, adjustable volume, alarm. Measures: 5" x 4" x 2-1/8".
Plate Switch: Photo of a hand pressing a yellow plate that is framed in a blue holder.
The plate switch responds to the slightest touch. It is ergonomically designed so the slightest contact activates the sloping plate. Suction cups are provided for attachment to most surfaces.
Super Wrist Talker
Photo of a man from the waist up sitting in a chair, wearing glasses and a red shirt with a stripe through the middle, looking down at his wrist and touching a device on the wrist with his other hand index finger and a close up photo of the wrist with the device on it to the right.
Super Wrist Talker enables the user to communicate any need or greeting with its color-coded button system. There are 12 levels with four, 5-second messages per level. Wrist straps are adjustable.
In large curved letters gold to brown reads “Did You Know?”.
Our partners at Coastal Bend Center for Independent Living demonstration center recently welcomed county employees to try out firsthand how people with disabilities use assistive technology to access information. If you are looking for other ways to gain accessibility information and training for FREE,click here:
Attached is a large photo of a long table and people sitting on the outside and some faced away looking at computer screens in a medium sized room.
In large bold dark blue lettering that curves up on both ends reads: What’s Coming Up? And has light blue shadow below script.
Logo in a purple shade reads: Texas Assistive Technology Network. TATN. Consider the Possibilities. We will be at The Texas Assistive Technology Regional Conference. Itis sponsored by theTexas Assistive Technology Network(TATN) and theTexas Education Agency(TEA). Assistive Technology enables students with disabilities to access the curriculum, increase independence, and participate actively in education and life activities. Presentations from national, regional and local AT practitioners are featured as well as an exhibit hall.
June 13-14, 2017 Conference registration can be foundhere:
June 15, 2017 Post Conference Registration can be foundhere:
Mission
Texas Assistive Technology Network (TATN) is working to ensure that students with disabilities receive assistive technology devices and services when needed to benefit from a free, appropriate public education. The TATN consists of representatives from each of the Texas Education Services Centers, and the Texas Education Agency (TEA). Region 4 Education Service Center (Region 4) in Houston, TX provides statewide leadership for the network. Through a comprehensive planning process, the TATN has developed a framework for statewide collaboration. Priorities in professional development and technical assistance focus on providing training, products and services that:
build district capacity in assistive technology knowledge and skills
promote strategies for building the literacy skills of all students, and
are aligned with statewide literacy initiatives.
Graphic of men and women in a row one next to the other conversing each person is in a solid silhouette with a word bubble above each one of their heads.
Success story from Demonstration Center:
A demonstration in Austin for a hard of hearing student attending ACC and tried a FM system for the first time. With a delighted face, his eyes were filling up with tears and he said: “This is awesome, I can hear everything!”
Comments from our loan program:
“Wonderful service! Awesome inventory, very quick turn-around. Loved the proximity switch and hook adapter.”
“You and your agency should consider this a highly successful loan. Last week, we transitioned my client to his own iPad with Proloquo2Go. With your assistance, he transitioned through the Go Talk 9, the Go Talk 32 and then the Prologuetogo2 on your iPad.”
“Finally able to communicate with others and also go back to school and get a job.”
“Having your iPad to bridge to this more sophisticated system so that we could figure out if he could use the Proloquo2go was invaluable.”
“It was super helpful and he has his own device now! Thanks for all your help with getting communication into the hands of this little guy!”
“Through the help of successful trials with you guys, our little guy got his first personal continuation device (Dynavox t10) at age 13! Thank you!”
“Thank you so much for this service, we were able to try some different thing with a few different
students!”
“Extremely helpful and a very easy process to go through for trials. It was exactly what one of my students needed. I will defiantly be using your services in the future!”
“You were awesome! Fast and friendly!”
Logo image of UT tower top, and reads: “What Starts Here Changes. The World The University of Texas at Austin”
Logo for TTAP blue rectangle and reads: “Texas Technology Access Program”
TTAP values your input.
If you have any suggestions, comments, or article you would like to have included in our newsletter, please contact us:
(512) 232-0751/
(512) 232-0750/(Until 3.31.17)
(512) 232-0753/
TTAP Demonstration Centers
Able Center, Odessa
Brazoria County Center for Independent Living, Angleton
Brazos Valley Center for Independent Living, Bryan
Coastal Bend Center for Independent Living, Corpus Christi
Disability in Action, Abilene
East Texas Center for Independent Living, Tyler
Easter Seals of Greater Houston
Heart of Central Texas Independent Living Center, Belton
Life/Run Center for Independent Living, Lubbock
Houston Center for Independent Living, Houston
Paso Del Norte Children’s Development Center, El Paso
Project MEND, San Antonio
REACH of Dallas
RISE Center for Independent Living, Beaumont
Texas Technology Access Program at UT, Austin
VAIL – Valley Association for Independent Living, McAllen
This publication was made possible by Grant Number 90AG0019-01-00 from the Administration for Community Living. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official vies of the HHS.