Giesbert
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Giesbert Nijhuis was a talented photographer and graphic designer when he had a spinal cord injury due to a car accident in December 1995. Left paralyzed from the neck down he took up his old professions again replacing his pencil with a computer. Now he does all his artwork with his head, using a HeadMouse Extreme to control his cursor. To write and control Photoshop and all those other applications that rely on keyboard shortcuts and modifier-key click combinations he uses KeyStrokes on-screen keyboard. He has a beautiful, head-designed web site chronicling his "first" and "second" life and designs t-shirts, CD covers, film posters, application icons and much more using his head and his Apple Power Mac G5 Quad.
Marie-France
- Marie-France has Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). Other names for this disease are Motor Neurone Disease (MND), Lou Gherigs Disease and Maladie de Charcot. Marie-France uses SwitchXS to access her computer and KeyStrokes for word prediction and Proloquo for communication.
Walter
- Walter Pfrommer was a pediatric surgeon when he was diagnosed with ALS in 1999. Despite losing his mobility and speech he continued to work: first as a project manager on a hospital IT project, later as consultant to another person who took over his role as project manager. Using his Apple laptop with AssistiveWare's Proloquo augmentative communication software, AssistiveWare's KeyStrokes on-screen keyboard and an Origin Instruments HeadMouse Extreme, he communicated with co-workers, family, friends and other people through email, chat and an Acapela Group synthesized speech voice. Walter wanted to make the best of life. In the video, shot in November 2005 he takes us along to his work, to a museum and to cinema. After his condition worsened he died in February 2006.
Elina
Elina was born with athetoid cerebral palsy. About a year ago, when she was 9 years old, she got a computer and in this 4 minute video she demonstrates how it has revolutionized her life. The computer has given her independence as she can now draw and write by herself. She accesses her Apple iBook with an adapted joystick and uses AssistiveWare's KeyStrokes on-screen keyboard with word prediction for writing. She is also experimenting with Proloquo and the Infovox iVox voices for speech feedback while she types. At home and at school her computer means life to her! Elina lives in California, United States of America.