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New communication tools for the disabled will be the topic of discussion at the next monthly meeting of the Danbury Area Computer Society on Tuesday, February 6, 2001. The 7:30 p.m. meeting will be held at Danbury Hospital Auditorium, and is open to the public.

Leading the program will be David Goldberg, president of Health Science, a New Jersey-based provider of augmentative and alternative communication for the speech-impaired (AAC). Goldberg will discuss the growing field of assistive technology for the handicapped and how it is helping bridge the gap between the physically disabled and mainstream society. The presentation will focus on public and private funding sources, application to specific types of disability, and a hands-on demonstration of the products being used.

A measure of the influence of computers on our lives is how much we seem to take them for granted. Like our cars, we rarely ask what makes them work, but how we turn them on and off and get where we want to go, and using a keyboard and a mouse are no more complicated than a operating a clutch, gear shift and steering wheel. But for people with disabilities, these simple tools can be a hindrance, or even a barrier to accessing their PC or navigating the digital super highway.

A diverse group of innovators ranging from amateur inventors to Ph.D. engineers, the AAC industry has grown to more than $250 million in annual sales. Chief among its products are switches that allow users to input data by movement of a finger, toe, head or eye; and keypads that differentiate between varying degrees, proximity, or duration of touch. Most systems include a voice synthesizer to convert words on the screen to speech, in order to communicate with others or to provide audible feedback to the user.

Although primarily developed for use by the physically disabled, this technology should provide a glimpse into a future in which we all gain more control of our environment through interaction with computers.

A special guest at the program will be Shirley Fredlund, Executive Director of Voice For Joanie, a New Milford non profit foundation that provides, at no charge, communication technology for victims of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig’s disease)--a condition that destroys neurons controlling muscle movement, leading to total paralysis. Using an infrared eye switch, ALS patients can blink to select text on the screen and have it "spoken" by a voice synthesizer. Danbury Area Computer Society provides technical support and volunteers to Voice for Joanie.

DACS meetings are held on the first Tuesday of every month at Danbury Hospital Auditorium. Activities begin with informal networking at 6:30, followed by questions and answers and Club announcements. The formal program gets underway at 8 p.m. For more information, see the DACS Web site at www.dacs.org or call the Resource Center at (203) 748-4330.