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Hi. My name is Trecia Benefield and I'm here with my friend.

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And we're here to talk about assisted technology.

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My friend here would like to introduce herself

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and show you how she's able to use

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her communications device.

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[Sissy] My name is Glenda Reed. You can call me Sissy.

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I am president of Disabilities Unlimited

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in Jasper, Alabama.

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[Trecia] I noticed that you are using your

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communications device. What are some of the

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things you would like people to know

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about using assisted technology?

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[Sissy] This is my voice. This is not a toy.

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Wait for me to answer your question. Just

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because you know me doesn't mean you know

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what I'm going to say. Don't put

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words in my mouth.

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[Trecia] Isn't that the truth! [both laughing!]

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[Trecia] What assisted technology you currently use?

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[Sissy] I use a wheelchair pointer,

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computer and phone.

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To communicate I use a communication

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device made by Dinaovox. This also allows me

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to operate my T.V. and phone which makes

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me more independent.

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[Trecia] That is wonderful! And you can use

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it to operate your phone and T.V.

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That is marvelous!

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Um, how is using assisted technology

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increased your ability to be independent?

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[Sissy] I am able to communicate with my

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doctors, participate in Disabilities Unlimited

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meetings, make my own appointments,

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schedule activities for myself. I can also

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express what I like and what I don't like.

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[Trecia] That is wonderful. A lot of times

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people don't realize that the communications

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and conversation is just as important

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as being able to tell people facts.

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Um, Sissy, I noticed before you had another

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communications device and the voice

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was very computerized. Do you like the

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female voice over this one? Better or . . .

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[Sissy] Yes.

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[Teresa] I do too. It sounds real. Do you like that?

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[Sissy] Yes.

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[Trecia] Um, I wanted to talk about kinda the

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story about getting your communication device.

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So, uh, we had a little problem with your

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case manager knowing how to bill insurance.

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[Sissy] Yes.

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[Trecia] Yes. Um, a lot of people aren't aware

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that Medicare will also pay for communication devices.

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And Medicare actually pays for the speech

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evaluation. A lot of people aren't aware that

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Medicaid doesn't pay for the speech evaluation

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but Medicare does. And there's a lot

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of people who have disabilities that have

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Medicare and Medicaid. Is that right?

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[Sissy] Yes.

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[Trecia] And how. . . it took about almost a year

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for you to get your device.

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[Sissy] Yes.

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[Trecia] So, can I talk about you?

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Can I tell some good things about you?

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[Sissy] Yes.

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[Trecia] Sissy is a great self advocate.

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Actually, when there was a problem with case

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management and being a great self advocate,

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Sissy requested another case manager [cough noise]

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who needed to do what needed to be done.

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Is that true?

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[Sissy] Yes.

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[Trecia] Do you think, when you look back

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on it, do you think that, um, yourself, if you hadn't

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been a self advocate, would you have

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your communications device? If you

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hadn't been a self advocate, would you have it?

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[Sissy] No.

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[Trecia] I'm very impressed. A lot of people

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take "no" and don't push. Right?

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[Sissy] Yes.

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[Trecia] And another thing that was asked,

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who do you like to communicate with?

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[Sissy] [punching key sounds, long pause] Becky.

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[Trecia] Becky. Can we talk about who Becky is?

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[Sissy] [punching key sounds] Yes.

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[Trecia] Becky is the speech therapist who

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provided the speech evaluation which

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Medicare needs to be able to purchase

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the communication device. So Becky

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is a very important person.

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But she also is

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[Sissy] [her own voice] Yes.

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[Trecia] we found out later, Sissy's cousin.

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So not only was there a family reunion

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but there was another great piece of advocacy. And

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when families are involved, great things happen.

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Now, I only have one other question for you.

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I know that since we've gotten the

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communications device, and I say we

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because I get to talk to you now and

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you get to answer, and I love it. But

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do you think, do you prefer one words or so you

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prefer one word on your communications device?

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[Sissy] No.

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[Trecia] Do you prefer sentences?

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[Sissy] Yes.

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[Trecia] And another thing I wanted to ask,

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do you feel that your need to add more

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information grows daily?

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[Sissy] Yes.

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[Trecia] And I think that's a really

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important piece of people using

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augmentative communication, is we have to

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be open to allow communication to grow

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and not just feel that we put the informaton

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in the device and expect it to last and continue

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to be what that person needs every day

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because as we begin to communicate

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our vocabulary grows, our opportunity to

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participate in community expands

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so the need for more words and more sentences

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is growing daily. And I think that's

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something that we both said [Sissy coughing]

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was very important to get the word

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out to people. Is that true?

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[Sissy] Yes.

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[Trecia] Thank you my friend.