Lee Ridley is coming to Edinburgh’s National Museums Scotland as part of our EPSRC Telling Tales of Engagement project. Extremely funny, he uses an iPad communication aid to deliver his performance. Make sure you don’t miss it and take a look at all the other brilliant events during the Edinburgh International Science Festival!

“Join Lost Voice Guy, Lee Ridley stand-up comedian at the Edinburgh International Science Show at National Museum of Scotland on Thursday 12 April.

Lee Ridley, AKA Lost Voice Guy, can’t talk but isn’t silent. One of the UK’s first stand up comedians using speech synthesis technology, for one night only Lee will perform his laugh out loud comedy set as part of the Edinburgh International Science Festival.

Book now! https://www.nms.ac.uk/lostvoiceguy”

… and great ambassador for AAC. This morning, Stephen Hawking, the world renowned physicist died at the age of 76.

Listen to his interview on the BBC Desert Island Discs from 1992:

(might be only accessible when accessed from the UK)

The School of Life Sciences at Dundee University has won the Gold Watermark for their Public Engagement (PE) work from the National Co-ordinating Centre for Public Engagement (NCCPE).

Continue reading School of Life Sciences wins Gold Watermark for Public Engagement →

A man who spent 14 years in institutions for people with profound learning and physical disabilities after contracting a brain infection will share the story of how he battled back to health at this year’s Margaret Harris Lecture at the University of Dundee.

‘Strength in Silence’ takes place at the Dalhousie Building on Wednesday 1 November from 6-7pm. Free tickets for this event are available via Eventbrite, calling 01382 385108 or from the University’s Tower Building Reception.

Continue reading Strength in Silence – The Margaret Harris Lecture on Religion →

Professor Annalu Waller will run a two hour TCELT workshop at 2pm today (Dalhousie 2F03), Adapting Research Methods for People with Physical and Speech Impairments. Click here for more information. You can also view a copy of the presentation slides by clicking on the link below:

TCELT Workshop Handout – PDF format

Great news: Our ‘I have Aphasia’ app has been recommended by the new MyTherappy Health App NHS website by the multi-award winning Neurorehabilitation Team at Northern Devon Healthcare NHS Trust.

After a very successful launch of our ‘I have Aphasia’ app at the end of the Aphasia Awareness Month in June, the group is now working hard on the first update to make the app also available on Android devices! Other new features aim include adding a choice for language and accent.

The Dundee Augmentative and Alternative Communication Research Group ventured out to Edinburgh for the first of three Museum After Hours events at the National Museum Scotland. Parallel with preview acts for the current Fringe Festival, the Group demonstrated an eye gaze system that allows people to work on a computer by just looking at it. This time though not work but creativity was asked for when visitors were able to use the system to paint their own Jackson Pollock style picture by just using their eyes!

A panoramic view of the event (courtesy of Rolf)

Continue reading Museum After Hours event at the National Museum Scotland →

‘I have Aphasia’ is a new iOS app for people with aphasia, giving a brief but succinct explanation of their condition, which affects the ability to create and understand language. The app provides a short animated film made by people with aphasia outlining the key communication difficulties they face so that they can show it to others without the stress of trying to explain this themselves. The animation illustrates how people can assist them through understanding and patience. The iOS app is now free to download from the app store (uod.ac.uk/2u5Pvj1), a preview of the app animation can be found at aac.dundee.ac.uk/tap-and-talk.

Picture shows Shona Robison MSP (Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport) speaking at the launch event, watched by Sir Pete Downes (Principal, University of Dundee), John Connell (Chairman, NHS Tayside), Lesley McLay (Chief Executive, NHS Tayside), members of the design team and members of the user group.

Continue reading Launch of new Aphasia app →