Update on Lightwriter

As you may have read on previous blogs, I had some remaining issues with Lightwriter SL40 for some time after purchase. I am happy to say they have all been resolved!

My SL40 was one of the first off the production lines and we initially had problems getting the Environmental Control to work, though it didn't help that we were pointing the remote at the wrong bit for it to learn the codes!

I also originally only had single line display and it didnt scroll, this was problem for me as I like to use pre-stored sentences and abbreviations alot, because mainly people can understand a single word or two, its just longer sentences and explanations I struggle with.

I sent it for an update and it can now display one, two or three lines of text which I find better for me personally. The reception was improved for SMS messages initially but then 02 deactivated my card and I was told they only counted voice calls as activity.

A change of SIM card has sorted this problem and I'm now with T-Mobile same as my deaf friends so can be assured I'm not gonna get disconnected again cos I cant make voice calls.

After we worked out we had been pointing remote at wrong side, training it to learn the codes went relatively smoothly and I can now turn my bedroom TV on/off adjust volume, get menu guide up and move up and down the menu. This is useful for me as my bedroom TV remote has tiny buttons
which I struggle with, but TV itself is not that old so didn't want to have to hunt for a new TV with big buttons on remote control.

By far the best feature of the Lightwriter is the communication side of it - this part has always worked. You just go into 'Talk' to use as communication aid. You can have word prediction on or off.

I personally like the word prediction on. I am pleased with the way it has got me through another 2 levels of progression since originally trailing it in 2008.

When I first tried I needed no keyguard and could still type quite well with fingers, I didn't use word prediction much originally but put specific pre-stored sentences in for set situations like visiting GP,
asking stuff in banks/shops, storing medical information etc.

By the time I got funding agreed and received my own I was getting more tremor in index fingers and having to hold fingers stiff to type and hit keys. I switched to deep keyguard to guide fingers to right keys without hitting others.

After getting alot of pain in hands particularly from typing on computer and doing long blogs, I discovered I didn't get as much pain if I used edge of little fingers with hand in a relaxed fist instead of them been held stiff which was causing alot more jerkyness in hands too.

I changed Lightwriter keyguard back to flush one that covers the sides of the keys and just shows tops, so I can easily use pinkies or thumbs or type. Also I changed colour and got black keyguard and it looks really cool.

One of my favourite features in Talk part is that you can bring up more than one option for an abbreviation. For example on mine 'lw' brings up the word 'Lightwriter' on its own, the sentence .. 'This is a Lightwriter, it speaks what I type as I have difficulty with speaking' or .... 'You can text my Lightwriter on <reads out number>'

You can also save sentences and recall them easily using a keyword, if I want to explain how I access my computer at home i just type 'imac' brings up 'iMac' in abbreviations then pressing pick button shows all sentences with the word iMac in them. I either scroll to it or press number at side of the one I want.

I can often make full sentences from the word prediction alone without having to press any other keys. This is useful if you have to repeat same information to different people as when you have pressed one selection it will remember the next word you used after that last time.

Also particularly useful for text message feature where you might start several off the same way, so for example after you pressed 'hi' .. the 'how' .. would come up, press 'how' and 'are' .. will come up, so by pressing number 1 four times, you can get hi, how are you or if you are fussy about punctuation etc you can save it as abbreviation-expansion so hhu brings up Hi, How are you? ... Still 3-4 keys instead of 16 (including punctuation).

All sentences, abbreviations created in 'Talk' can be used to compose SMS and also in 'Notebook' section. I don't use this as much but it does have all my medical details in for emergencies, also Incas (my dog) for vet visits and one called form filler for situations where I have to give details in certain order for someone else to fill in a form for me. Each been used once so far.

This really saves me a lot of time as my typing is much slower but I still like to be able to explain things in proper sentences. For casual chatting most people can understand me when I'm only saying one or two words at a time to answer questions. I also use gestures and proper BSL (British Sign Language) for people that understand it.

I'm really glad I can now use my Lightwriter for other things too, as I live alone I don't always need it as a communication aid everyday but I don't want to damage battery life either so been able to use it for bedroom TV at night and to text people also during day works for me.

You can get a mount to fit it to a wheelchair if you want to, but I am still semi-mobile at the moment and can transfer my self between scooter chair, sofa. sometimes I just use my walker to scoot from room to room by sitting on seat and pushing myself backwards with my legs

Sometimes I only use crutches to get from house door into family's cars then into their houses so can wear it over my shoulder like a bag to take with me.

The newer SL40 Connect is same but instead of only been able to send SMS you can use it like a mobile phone. This is good if you can hear the other person on a phone normally but struggle to speak your reply, as you just type your reply on the Lightwriter.

As I am also deaf and need to be able to see peoples faces to lip-read this extra feature wouldn't work for me personally, but would be very useful for an hearing person who was losing speech or had severe problems been understood on phone.

An added bonus for me personally because I'm also deaf is because its so easy to type on and most people these days can type, if I am struggling to understand the person I am talking to, I can give them the Lightwriter for them to type their reply and me to read.

This has been particuarly useful with doctors, as you never know who you will get till you get there (or they arrive here) and they are often chinese or asian which I find more difficult to lip-read. Because
interpreters often have to be booked 1-2 weeks in advance this has been invaluable to me in medical emergencies when I have needed immediate treatment with no time to get hold of anyone who can sign.

I would recommend this device to others, as it is robust for outdoors use, not as much of a problem in bright sunlight as a touchscreen device, as obviously you can still see the keys and the other person
hear the device.