Enabling Technology

WishumNotes

Kirstin’s notes on Ryan Wishum’s talk.

  • Ryan’s Background:
    • Born and raised in Sylvester, GA
    • He has Cerebal Palsy, which is a muscular disorder that has affected his speech
    • His family was well known in his hometown, so he was accepted well by the community
  • What is CP:
    • A chronic disorder that affects muscle and movement control
    • Caused by faulty development or damage to motor areas of the brain
    • There are three main types:
      • Spastic: Stiffness or difficulty with movement
      • Athetoid: Involuntary Movements
      • Ataxic: Affects sense of balance and depth perception
  • Effects of CP on Ryan:
    • Walking – uses a cane or electric cart(Amiga) to help
    • Speech – uses a communication device called Lightwriter
  • Home Life:
    • Ryan met his wife in an online chat room
    • Mrs. Wishum also has CP – her speech is less affected, but her muscle control is more spastic
    • They live together in Cary, NC
    • The Wishums love to cook and entertain guests together
    • They attend pool therapy together to help prevent the degenerative nature of CP
  • Ryan’s School Experience:
    • Ryan was the only disabled student with normal classroom capability
    • He was a “guinea pig” for mainstreaming in his school
    • He made good friends that could understand his language and interpret for new teachers
  • College Experiences:
    • Ryan went to a small junior college at first
    • He later attended Georgia Tech
    • He attained his Bachelor’s of Computer Engineering in 1997
  • IBM Career:
    • Ryan has been working as a Software Engineer at IBM since 1998
    • Develops test tools for hardware
    • Has served as Programmer Lead and Tool Team Lead





  • Professional Challenges with CP:
    • Conference Calls – Getting attention and contributing ideas is tedious
      • Ryan starts typing until they recognize him
      • He can repeat a word until they acknowledge him
      • He does not utilize word prediction technology because of the cost and his good typing skills
    • Meetings – Communication can be difficult
      • Tough to get a thought in
    • Presentations – Uses a presentation TTS software
      • PowerTalk is a helpful software, but the speech is not extremely clear
    • Hallway Conversations – Hard to stop and have a casual conversation
      • Ryan carries his taptop and Lightwriter everywhere
  • Relay Service:
    • AT&T has a relay service in which operators will serve as a middleman to provide telephone accessibility
    • Some companies have their own TDD operators
    • Improves privacy when compared to using speakerphone and a Lightwriter
  • Struggles:
    • Sometimes people assume Ryan is deaf or unintelligent because of his speech disability
    • Everyday tasks and conversations with people are made more difficult (ordering a pizza)
  • Some Brainstorming:
    • Dr. Bishop brought up “Dasher” from the UK
      • Uses Probability of Choice to determine a size of a picking region
      • Fitz’s Law to select the target ability
      • Disabled may find it difficult/frustrating to select words quickly
    • Using a handheld might be a good project
      • Sharp Zaurus SL – 6000L Handheld
      • “Wimpy” speakers may be a problem