Why Use Low Tech?
For Reasons of Speed and Efficiency (Physical Access)
For some people a low tech system may be faster to use than a high tech system. (This may especially be true for some people with significant physical disabilities).
This doesn’t mean that the low tech system is “better” than a high tech system. A person may value their low tech system because it’s fast, and value their high tech system because it allows them to communicate independently, with speech output.
Examples:
(Click on the tabs Below to open and close)
Jim: Eye Gaze & Laser Pointer with Communication Board
Jim uses 2 main forms of communication:
1. Low Tech
Jim has a large (36 x 24) AlphaCore Xtreme communication board. He accesses it by pointing to it with a laser mounted onto his eyeglasses. He uses this for most of his face to face conversations.
2. High Tech
Jim uses a Dynavox EyeMax as his high tech system. He is able to control this computerized system with his eyes.
He is able to select letters by looking at them on his computer screen. He types out words letter, by letter, using word prediction. Jim spends several hours a day on his computer, writing emails, working on his blog, and preparing messages for people who aren’t there (for example, to read to his wife when she gets home.)
Jim is much faster using his low tech method. Using the AlphaCore board, he puts together his message together word by word
Both low tech and the high tech methods are important parts of Jim's communication system.