My favorite gadgets at this year’s Assistive Technology Industry Association conference, which featured more than 100 vendors, include two communications products and a new PDA for the blind. I also note some worthy mentions – gadgets that I liked because of their design or originality. Here’s the list. ECO2 This eye-gaze system brings the latest in alternative [...]
The New York Times article about insurers refusing to pay for speech-generating devices has hit a sore point among the disability community. Today's newspaper reserves a section for comments from people who use these devices, including Roger Ebert, the film critic for The Chicago Sun-Times.
Insurance companies argue that many of today's speech-generating devices are not eligible for reimbursement because they can also perform "fun and games" -- like e-mail and web browsing. But is it really fair? The disabled say they'd rather have an all-in-one device that lets them speak while doing computer work and web browsing. But they can't simply walk into a Best Buy or Circuit City to get what they need, unless they pay for it out of pocket.
