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August 1997 Hearings on Assistive Technology |
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August 1997 Hearings on Assistive Technology |
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Written Testimony for
Meeting the Needs of People with Disabilities
through Federal Technology Transfer
to:
United States House of Representatives
Committee on Science
Subcommittee on Technology
2:00 p.m.
July 15, 1997
by:
David H. Hershberger
Vice President of Product Development
Prentke Romich Company
1022 Heyl Rd.
Wooster, OH 44691
Phone: 1-800-262-1984
Fax: 380-262-5586
email: dhh@prentrom.com
Introduction:
Chairwoman Morella and members of the Subcommittee on Technology, I want to thank you for inviting me to testify at this hearing on "Meeting the Needs of People with Disabilities through Federal Technology Transfer." My name is Dave Hershberger and I am Vice President of Product Development at the Prentke Romich Company.
Prentke Romich Company and Augmentative Communication:
Prentke Romich Company was founded in 1966 for the sole purpose of providing technology for people with disabilities. This has remained the company's only activity throughout its history. Today, this Ohio-based company employs 150 people throughout the United States. Prentke Romich Company supplies assistive devices throughout the United States and also exports an increasing number of products.
Prentke Romich Company's primary products are speech generation devices for people who cannot speak. Using microcomputer technology, a language organization system called Minspeak and thirty years of experience, we develop and manufacture devices which allow people to generate speech by pressing keys on a keyboard, moving a joystick, pointing their head or using virtually any controlled muscle movement. These devices, often referred to as Augmentative Communication Devices, enable many people who were previously able to communicate only basic needs to their attendants to have much greater communication opportunities. They can join in conversations, write letters, take notes, give speeches, use the telephone and more recently, participate in electronic communication through the Internet. Providing a means of communication opens doors for these individuals. Many now have the opportunity to attend school and/or to become employed.
Advancements in Technology:
Technological developments have had a profound role in assistive devices for people with disabilities. Many of the products available today would have been inconceivable with the technology of twenty years ago. Some of these innovations have been developed by assistive technology companies, some by Rehabilitation Engineering Research Centers and many others by developers in the consumer market.
The computer revolution has resulted in a lightning pace in the advancements of electronics and technology. This revolution has had a profound impact on people with disabilities. First, although not universally the case, many of the new products are easier to use, or at least to modify for use, by individuals with disabilities. Consider the remote controls which allow us to control the TV set from our armchairs. These conveniences can also be used by people who are unable walk across the room to change channels. A second benefit of accelerated advancement in more sophisticated consumer devices is the accompanying advancement in the components required to make the devices. The components required to produce faster and better computers are also used to make more sophisticated wheelchairs controls or augmentative communication aids.
Rehabilitation Engineering Research Centers (RERCs) which are funded through NIDRR have also contributed to the level of assistive technology available today. The first microprocessor-based augmentative communication aid was developed at the Trace Research and Development Center at The University of Wisconsin. The first optical headpointer and the first female voice to be used in augmentative communication systems were also developed at RERCs.
Other advancements come from the developments within the assistive technology companies. Like many medium sized technology companies, Prentice Romich Company has always had a strong Research and Development component. As a commercial company, most research activities are funded through moneys generated through product sales. We have also received funding through the Small Business Innovation Research Program. Because of the relatively small size of our market, we must be judicious in how we spend our research and development dollars. Specifically, we must take advantage of technological developments occurring elsewhere and focus our own efforts toward adapting the technology so that it can be used by people with disabilities. For example, rather than developing the next generation of speech synthesizers, we concentrate on implementing the latest synthesizers into equipment that can be operated by individuals with severe disabilities. Also, assistive technology companies must concentrate their efforts in areas where other industries are less likely to spend their own research dollars. Research projects in which Prentke Romich has participated in recent years include:
- specialized scanning techniques for faster speech generation
- hands-free computer operation
- augmentative communication devices that can be worn by an individual
- visual language representation
Opportunities:
Despite all of the current efforts applied to researching assistive technology, we believe that there is much more that can be done to address the needs of people with physical and cognitive disabilities. The more that is understood about technology and the needs of people with disabilities, the greater the opportunities appear. As an example, Prentke Romich Company is working jointly with a team at the Applied Science and Engineering Laboratories at the University of Delaware (also an RERC) to implement artificial intelligence into communication devices. The goal of the project is to take the telegraphic and incomplete speech from children with low cognitive skills and generate complete, grammatically correct sentences that can be understood by a greater number of people.
I am encouraged that the role of the National Laboratories relative to assistive technology is being discussed. Based on past experiences, additional research and development applied to assistive technology will lead to making the lives of individuals with disabilities more fulfilling and productive. From the perspective of an assistive technology company, I can see several opportunities for cooperation between the National Laboratories and the RERCs in making technology available to the people who would receive the greatest benefit from it.
In the examples that have already been cited, developments at RERCs helped seed and advance the Augmentative Communication device industry. Additional technology from the Federal Laboratories may have an equal benefit in numerous assistive technology areas. Transferring these developments from the Laboratories into assistive technology should cost substantially less than duplicating the research in the assistive technology companies or RERCs. Meanwhile the expertise of the assistive technology companies can be tapped to make the technology more suitable and affordable for consumers and to set up means of distribution, training and support for the consumers.
Secondly, greater information transfer would be beneficial. Information from RERCs, assistive technology companies and others within the disabilities field could create greater awareness at Federal Laboratories of the technological hurdles faced by people with disabilities. Likewise, greater knowledge of developments at Federal Laboratories would help those of us who develop assistive technology. Much of this information exchange is aided by the World Wide Web and is already under way.
Conclusions:
As the ADA and recent re-authorization of IDEA confirm, we are privileged to live in a country that acknowledges that people with disabilities have the same rights as all Americans. For the past fifteen years I have had the opportunity to work in the field of assistive technology and have seen many individuals live more fulfilling lives despite their disabilities with the use of this assistive technology. I commend you for exploring possibilities of enriching the lives of these individuals even further.
Federal Grants for Development of Assistive Technology in which Prentke Romich Company has participated.
From:
National Institute of Health
National Institute on Deafness and other Communication Disorders
Small Business Innovation Research ProgramA Communication Aid Enhanced with Semantic Parsing
Reference: 1 R41 DC02338-01A1
Project Period 9/30/95-9/29/96
Funds received (or to be received): $79,212Innovation in Augmentative Communication Devices
Reference: 2 R44 DC02211-02
Project Period 1/1/94 - 5/31/97
Funds received (or to be received) Phase 1: $75,000
Funds received (or to be received) Phase 2: $750,000Development and Testing of Portable Communication Aids
Reference: 1 R43 DC08251-01
Project Period 5/1/97-10/31197
Funds received (or to be received): $82,986Optimization of Speech Synthesis Software for Vocal Communication
Aids
Reference: 5 R44 MH52357-02
Funds received (or to be received): 0From:
United States Department of Education
Assessing the Utility of the Child-Oriented Readily Expanding Words Strategy
Reference: 98-025
Project Period 9/1/93 - 2/28/94
Funds received (or to be received): $40,000
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