[senit] Switching on a Computer

Have you checked out any of the life skills and environmental controls 
on the QED wbsite http://www.qedonline.co.uk/catalog/index.php 
They have a variety of interactive switches which might be suitable 
for your client.

Anne-Marie Medhurst
Miestone School

----Original Message----
From: allan.wilson at ed.ac.uk
Date: 15-Mar-2007 13:04
To: <senit at lists.becta.org.uk>
Subj: [senit] Switching on a Computer

Hi Folks

This query is slightly off topic as it relates to an adult, but I'm 
hoping someone will have an answer!

I'm struggling with a query regarding computer access for a man with 
cerebral palsy who has to rely on a carer to switch on his computer. 
The sensible answer might be training for the carer, or for him to 
get 
a new carer, but in order to increase independence he rightly wants 
to 
be able to switch it on by himself. There are hundreds of 'solutions' 
for making a computer 'more accessible' to use, but hardly anything 
addresses one of the most basic question relating to computer access 
- 
"how do you switch the thing on?"!

Have I missed something obvious? Does anybody know of something?

There are the various "Power Link" type devices, but I don't think 
they 
would work. There are expensive environmental control systems, which 
would work, but would be totally over the top for this person's 
needs. 
I'm sure that somebody with good electronic skills could replace the 
computer switch with something based on a jelly bean switch (or 
something similar), but this would invalidate the warranty and there 
could be Health and Safety issues!

Any ideas?

Allan Wilson
Information Officer
CALL Centre (Communication Aids for Language and Learning)
Paterson's Land, Holyrood Road
Edinburgh EH8 8AQ

Tel: 0131 651 6068
Fax: 0131 651 6234

allan.wilson at ed.ac.uk
http://www.callcentrescotland.org.uk

..

..