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Nous™ Case Studies: Danielle


"Since using Nous I can now access a switch independently for the first time in my life. I have really enjoyed being part of something that is going to help others."

Meet Danielle

a vibrant, creative 27-year-old who loves music, art, photography and puzzles

Danielle lives on a beautiful lifestyle block in New Zealand with her father. She’s assisted by a number of incredible carers who support her in her day to day activities, as she lives with quadriplegic cerebral palsy and is non-verbal.

Before Thought-Wired got involved, she could communicate “yes” by looking up and “no” by looking down. Her therapists and support staff also put together a series of images on an iPad.

She had tried a number of different types of assistive access and communication technologies available to her, but none matched her specific access needs.

We spent a year co-designing Nous with Danielle and her support network and teaching her how to use her blinks to communicate. The co-designing ensured that what we were building was user-centred.

Eventually Danielle’s new communication system was funded and delivered: Grid 3 by Smartbox and Nous installed on a Microsoft Surface Pro.

Want to know more about how we worked with Danielle?
Download the case study!

Danielle uses Nous on a daily basis to play games, communicate, complete puzzles, create artwork… even take sneaky photos of her dad while he’s snoozing.

It’s the first time she’s been able to independently communicate in her life, and we’re so excited to see what the future holds for her.

What were some of the benefits that her SLT/P and OT observed?

  • Danielle was completely relaxed during use, where as for other switch access that requires physical exertion has caused her whole body to spasm
  • The device can be used whether she is lying down or in her wheelchair and doesn't require special positioning, whereas jelly bean switches and eye-gaze do
  • Danielle can hit physical switches but has trouble stopping because of her condition, this wasn't the case with Nous
  • They liked that Nous can be easily connected to existing software and hardware systems, including other switch access methods

Ready to dig deeper into Danielle's Nous set up?
Download the full white-paper!

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