Communicating with Handicapped Loved Ones? 43
Trx asks: "Many of us regularly exchange digital images from our loved ones, but the disabled are often left on the dark side of this digital divide. My dad is quadriplegic, and I've been looking into ways I might outfit his room with an automated download of images to his television. Have any Slashdot users attempt something of this sort? He lives in an assisted living facility, with personal telephone/cable lines. He has special response buttons for control of television channels and phone. Due to high staff-turnover, training-in staff to help him download emails or images hasn't worked out. I am stationed overseas, and can only get back once every 6 months if I'm lucky, so low-maintenance is key. WebTV would be an option if it didn't require mouse or keyboard. We've also considered investing in a laptop DVD player, and mailing disks. Any suggestions?"
Digital Picture Frame (Score:5, Insightful)
Now if you wanted to give him some controll (forward, back, pause, etc) that could be much trickier. The best I can think of off the top of my head (and this wouldn't be too easy) would be to set it up with a microphone and teach it to listen for whistles or some such. One quick whistle is stop, two is forward, etc. Or you could use different pitches (A is stop, B is forward, etc). That would be easy to controll once he got the hang of it and would require no controll device, wouldn't have to be rigged into the ones currently provided, etc.
Of course that assumes he knows how to whisle. He does know how to whistle doesn't he? He just puts his lips together and... sorry, couldn't resist.
Re:Digital Picture Frame (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Digital Picture Frame (Score:4, Interesting)
Good luck.
Re:Digital Picture Frame (Score:2)
Re:Digital Picture Frame (Score:2, Informative)
Actually Use the Computer (Score:1)
There are several adaptive technologies that would allow your father to actually use a computer, not just display photos, although he could easily do that as well.
I know that some years back, I did some work with a local charity here to assist them in adapting the IHADS targeting system to be an on screen head-mounted pointing device. Combined with an on screen keyboard like this http://march-of-faces.org/resources/vkt.html and there are several of these available, your father could have full use of
Re:Actually Use the Computer (Score:1)
That might be an option.
Health insurance might cover the cost of purchasing the device, particularly if he has trouble communicating.
PS. I work for them, but please don't hold that against them.
Re:Digital Picture Frame (Score:3, Interesting)
It would also allow you to get pictures to him the
Keep it simple (Score:4, Interesting)
Another simple solution is to have your digital pictures printed out and delivered. There are many shops that do this. It is inexpensive. The big advantage is that there is nothing to break. Also no staff need special training (ditto for a dvd player). There is also an added bonus in that your father can easily display photos that he likes.
Re:Keep it simple (Score:2)
Re:Keep it simple (Score:2)
Re:Keep it simple (Score:2)
My grandma gets a big kick out of watching photos on the TV.
More info, please (Score:4, Insightful)
Without this information (and possibly more) it's kinda hard to say what would be best for you and your father. One thing you might want to look into is the new Mac mini [apple.com] since you can easily add S-video output to his TV and Mac OS X requires a lot less upkeep than Windows.
--Paul
Re:More info, please (Score:2)
Provided you set it up properly, the only operator training needed would be for someone to put a ball cap with the reflective dot on your father's head. Lots of people use it for flight sims, especially the IL-2 series [pacific-fighters.com].
Since they use as a Situation awareness aid, they all know how to set it up.
Re:More info, please (Score:2)
The old fashioned way (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:The old fashioned way (Score:3, Interesting)
I'm also stationed overseas with a handicapped sister. Mailing something to the states can take up to a month or more, depending on the season. At one point, I did manage to get a package back home in a record 10 days, a small miracle if you ask me.
Also, the pictures could tend to get lost and it would require staff to sit with the parent's dad. This isn't something their going to want to do. To them, just having to be around patients eve
Re:The old fashioned way (Score:2)
Sister is at home in Oregon - not with me. I'm in Germany.
Possible coding solution? (Score:2)
Code an extension for Thunderbird that parses incoming email for certain keywords (code words you provide/select to prevent false positives) and for attachments. It then collects attached photos, and ports them to a second/dedicated video card connected to the/a TV. It will cycle through the photos n times then stop, "reset," and wait for the next batch of email/images.
You think?
No flames, please. Havent't coded in about 10 years, but used to do some simil
Mac Voice Recognition? (Score:3, Informative)
Hauppauge MediaMVP (Score:3, Informative)
Since he can control a TV using a remote control type device, then he should be able to control this using a remote control.
Download? (Score:4, Interesting)
I can think of a couple of solutions. For example: You get a cheap desktop or laptop computer. You use it for nothing but your father electronic picture downloader. You turn it on, and it automatically runs a web browser with a script that does a slideshow of all the photos on a particular web site. (A little serial port or IrDA hacking could maybe interface the slideshow with your father's existing gadgetry; otherwise you can just put the whole thing on a timer.) The web site belongs to you, and you just upload new photos to it whenever you want your father to see them. With a little work, you could also add audio files for narratives and background music.
That's just one idea -- a little brainstorming would produce a couple more. If you lack the expertise to do the necessary software hacking, I'm sure you could find some volunteer labor. (I'd be pleased to offer my own skills.) The same goes for hardware hacking, though for that you'd need somebody on the scene.
Maybe a simple solution.... (Score:4, Interesting)
You could create a webpage that refreshes itself every couple of minutes or so and displays full size photos chosen at random from a folder on the site. Plenty of prefab scripts out there that can do that. Just set up a laptop in his room and all the orderlies need to do is open Firefox with your photo page set as the default home page. You could also use this to send him message s by just editing the page. he wouldn't need to do anything as long as he has a dedicated phone line that can be online all the time. If he doesn't and can only be on sporadically, then just type up some simple instructions on how to double click the "Internet" button and then double click the "Firefox" button so the orderlies can get him signed on and tape it to the desk where the machine sits.
I dunno...maybe something like that.
k
Re:Maybe a simple solution.... (Score:2)
Maybe setup the startup so it launches Firefox automatically at boot would make it mostly orderly-proof.
Re:Maybe a simple solution.... (Score:2)
VNC (Score:5, Informative)
See, for example, http://www.tightvnc.com/ [tightvnc.com]: "TightVNC is a free remote control software package derived from the popular VNC software. With TightVNC, you can see the desktop of a remote machine and control it with your local mouse and keyboard, just like you would do it sitting in the front of that computer."
Re:VNC (Score:3, Informative)
Tux2000
Closing the Gap (Score:2, Insightful)
Remote Login (x-box??) (Score:2)
That way you can log in from your overseas location chat to him, pop images up on the screen for him and generally have a 'father and son' session. (Others have also suggested VNC.) If using an x-box could something be done with the x-box controller for local control??
You can also admin the box from your remote location. Provided you
Remote unix (Score:2)
The unix box that you could log into remotely, place upload the pictures to (ftp, scp, whatever floats your boat), and then remote control to show them onscreen (or heck you could hook an inkjet printer to it, leave a supply of ink cartridges, and the paper and ink loading instructions next to, and you could
Re:Remote unix (Score:2)
Hmm. I wonder if Tivo might work? (Score:2)
I use iPhoto on my Mac, and then share my photos with my Tivo over a wireless LAN. One possibility might be to find a way to transfer the photos to iPhoto and then your dad could use the Tivo remote to pick which pictures to see.
Given that the Mac comes with unix utils, I'm thinking that a wget script could be used to pull the photos to the Mac, and then probably an applescript could be used to add new photos automatically to the iphoto
SHARE (Score:2)
Dr. Les Cory is the founder and a really good guy, as well as extremely technical. He was one of my professors and advisors when I was in college. Phone numbers and email address are available on the website (I'll try to be nice and keep some of the spambots away by not posting that info here.) These folks are really good at doing cool technical things on a li
Print out actual photos... (Score:2)
This is assuming the staff there have the time and desire to show them to him and/or post his favorites on a peg board, or by his bed, or wherever he would want them.
The thicker the wallet the more opportunities (Score:2, Informative)
I got to testdrive one of their monitors at a London convention that follows your pupils regardless of head movement and it's nothing short of amazing (including the
Stallion LiveCD (Score:2)
The reason I suggested this option, is for low-maintenance, all that is required is to switch on the computer. The operating system is read-only so can not be changed - nothing to break. The homepage of firefox can be perminatly set to your website.
You can then set up your website remotely, have each webste automatically progres to the