mobility and
assistive technology
Meredith in her favourite coffee shop,
Julian’s Kitchen in Melbourne. Meredith
(left) with Tracy Shepherd co-chair at
ISAAC conference.
“When I first lost my voice, there
were only communication boards.”
Meredith lost her voice at 10 years
old due to a traumatic brain injury.
“Apps are more acceptable in the
general community,” she said.
LIFE
IN THE
APPS
LANE
Meredith Allan is the World
President of the International
Society for Augmentative and
Alternative Communication
(ISAAC). Link contributor Julie
Moss interviews Meredith
about iPad apps, the National
Disability Insurance Scheme
(NDIS) and the perils of
predictive text.
“I was at a bakery ordering
what I wanted, and the customer
beside me said, ‘That is what
the iPad is meant for’.”
They are also light and portable.
“The old Lightwriters (early
communication devices) took a toll
your neck and back,” she said.
Still, iPads aren’t for everyone.
M
Meredith advised communication
aid users to do their research: “Apps
eredith retired from work aren’t always the best devices – (they
four years’ ago, but said she are) useless when saliva gets on them.
has never been busier. And young people don’t always ‘click’
She works as a communication
access advisor and is studying
between apps and dedicated
University. Last year she co- communication devices.
chaired the ISAAC International “I use my iPad 99 per cent of the
Conference on the Gold Coast. time for communication, but the NDIS
“We had 1,138 delegates plus
exhibitors, volunteers and support
workers,” Meredith typed, between
Catching up at her favourite café,
Meredith talked to me using the
iPad app ‘Flip Writer’. She typed out
says it’s a computer,” she said.
NDIS will pay for the apps but not
the iPad.
“I cannot believe NDIS refused
the World President of AAC a
communication device,” she said.
“Communication access is a
messages on her side of the screen growing area (and) Australia is leading
and it appeared on my side of the the world.”
screen as text. A tap of a button and
the message was spoken.
“I also lecture occasionally at
She handed me her card – it said
she was based in Canada! “That’s
where my team is based,” she said. I
various universities,” Meredith said. asked what they did. “All the [her hand
She uses ‘Proloquo4Text’ for that. hovered over the iPad] jobs.”
“I use it for speeches … there’s
more memory and storage and it has
an excellent back up service,” she said.
mobility and assistive technology
She talked about the differences
for a Master’s degree at Deakin
sips of an iced-chocolate milkshake.
38
with iPads or tablets.”
“Word prediction will be the death
of me,” she grinned.
www.isaac-online.org
linkonline.com.au