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New NaturalPoint SmartNAV — Head Tracking System
Computers and the Internet have created a level playing field for people throughout the world. The goal of the NaturalPoint SmartNAV Cursor Control System is to provide unmatched access to that world of computer information. We believe that the NaturalPoint SmartNAV Cursor Control System provides the most effective, empowering, and respectful access solution for people with disabilities.

This powerful new communication tool will redefine the way people with disabilities use computer. As intuitive as a mouse, the NaturalPoint SmartNAV gives the user control of the computer by tracking his/her head motion—in real time!

Improved Frequently Asked Questions page has received a face lift. You'll find the most common questions asked about MACAW, LightWRITER, Sensory Software and SmartNAV.

Nicki is a 16-year-old high school girl in a self-contained room with inclusion into some regular high school classes. She has cerebral palsy, mental retardation and uses a wheelchair. Nicki had been using a ZYGO MACAW communication system for about 5 years but recently began to show no interest in communicating with it. The local ZYGO area representative was asked to consult to see what could be done with the MACAW in order to increase Nicki's motivation to communicate. During the consult, the school staff and parent asked about other types of communication devices and the Optimist II with Winspeak software was demonstrated. Nicki became immediately interested in the dynamic screen and started to reach out and touch it. She also began to smile and maintained attention to the device for about 30 minutes. Nicki's visual attention was drawn to the changing dynamic screen of the Optimist II and therefore became motivated to interact with it. She was also very attentive to the digitized voice option and the ability to put in photos of people and pets.

Nicki received her Optimist II with Winspeak software about one year ago and since that time has been more interested and motivated to communicate. Nicki's pages are limited to 6 choices giving her clear visual cues without distracting or overwhelming her. Her home page has two choices, home and school. These branch out into menu pages based on the different environments. The school environment offers morning schedule, afternoon schedule, food, needs/feelings and fun talk. The home environment offers chores, mealtime, needs/feelings, fun talk, and leisure-time activities. Her pages are color coded to aid in navigating through her language. Nicki is a good example of a student who could be appropriate for either a static display system like the MACAW or a dynamic display system like the Optimist II. Trying out both systems showed the team that the dynamic display system was more interesting and motivating for Nicki and therefore will be more successful.

This is a powerful feature of LightWRITER's memory system. To deliver a speech, you need to store memories—these can be created on the LightWRITER. The memories must be linked so that each one calls the next. Note that each memory is limited to 250 characters, that consists of 10 characters for the abbreviation and the link and 240 characters for the message. To deliver a 5 to 10 minutes of speech, 30 to 60 of these memory blocks can be stored.

Preparations: Use "Mem Mem Mem F" to check how much memory is free. If you anticipate a long speech, you need to backup your other day-to-day memories to a computer and erase the memory system before creating the speech—restore your memories after the speech.

Any memories can be used, but memories 5,7,8,9 and 0 should be left free; these are memory and speech tools which you will need at the last minute.

Hints:

• For best speech flow, set "Mem speed" to "Instant".
• To link the memories, "Abbrv-expansn" should be set up to "Space".
• Set "Alert sounds" to "None". This will turn unexpected sounds off when you play the speech.
• Experiment with the "Speech rate" and "Speech gaps" for best clarity.

Storing a sample speech: (In the following example, "_" means space)
Ladies_and_gentlemen,_good_evening!_I_would_like..._&LINK_Y2_ then press Mem Mem 1 Y Y

Y2=Once_upon_a_time,_a_big... (up to 240 characters) _&LINK_Y23_ then press Mem Mem + Y

Y23=Is_it_not_true,_citizens,... (up to 240 characters) _&LINK_Y999_ then press Mem Mem + Y

Note that "Mem 1" will now play the entire speech. "Y2 space" (for example) will play from memory Y2. There will be short gaps between the memories, if they end with a period. For longer gaps, such as applause or laughter, do not link to the next memory; simply recall it when you need to.

CAMA Tours

Question: Why the Scan Module attached to my LightWRITER is not working?

Answer: Attach the Scan Module to the LightWRITER to Port1 or Port2 if available. To set the port settings properly, follow these simple steps:

• Press the On/C key to turn the unit on.
• Press Mem and the Replay button to get to the User Setups.
• Press the "P" key repeatedly until the display shows the port number that you have attached the Scan Module to.
• Repeatedly press the "+" key to set the Port to Scanner. For example the display will now read "Port 2: Scanner".
• Now press the On/C button to finish the setup process and clear the display.
• Plug a Switch into the Scan 1 jack located on the side of the LightWRITER.
• Activate the switch by pressing it. Activating the Switch will turn the scanner on.

"The closer I come to getting my very own LightWRITER, the more excited I become, It's hard to imagine that I will be able to express my thoughts in words after almost 20 years of virtual silence." Was written in e-mail to one of our area field representatives.

Did you know?

The price of SL35 LightWRITERs have been reduced. Call (800) 234-6006 for more details.

With proper documentation, ZYGO will accept Medicare assignments on the SL35 LQBD0 model and most accessories.

The highest known number of pages that have been created with Winspeak is 750. If you or someone you know has created more pages using Winspeak or HandsOFF!, please let us know.

If you would like to share your story or creative use of our products, please email us. To unsubscribe from this newsletter, simply click on your Reply button and write UNSUBSCRIBE in the Subject area.