Communication is the central thing

Walter Pfrommer was a pediatric surgeon when he was diagnosed with ALS in 1999. Despite losing his mobility and speech he continued to work: first as a project manager on a hospital IT project, later as consultant to another person who took over his role as project manager. Using his Apple laptop with AssistiveWare's Proloquo augmentative communication software, AssistiveWare's KeyStrokes on-screen keyboard and an Origin Instruments HeadMouse Extreme , he communicated with co-workers, family, friends and other people through email, chat and an Acapela Group synthesized speech voice. Walter wanted to make the best of life. In the video, shot in November 2005 he takes us along to his work, to a museum and to cinema. After his condition worsened he died in February 2006.

You can listen to Communication is the central thing online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

Communication is the central thing is an episode from Exploring the Frontiers of Assistive Technology by David Niemeijer.

This episode is 3:49 long.

This episode was published on Apr 28, 2008.

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