Every child and young person has a unique story to tell
Student Stories celebrates the experiences of children, young people and inspiring individuals who use assistive technology and AAC, sharing how technology has helped them communicate, learn and become more independent.
Through interviews, conversations and lived experiences, we hope these stories inspire confidence, challenge perceptions and demonstrate the real impact that assistive technology can have.
CENMAC Student Voice Lead Khamani Edwards with members of the Changemakers Collective Lauris and Lauriel
Student Voice Lead Khamani chats with Year 6 pupil Andre and his Teaching Assistant Evon from Norbury Manor Primary School. Find out about the assistive technology used to support Andre’s learning including his laptop, Clicker and a reading pen. Andre is very proud of his technology and his favourite subject is science!
Khamani chats with Dunraven School students Lauris and Lauriel about the assistive technology that they use to access the curriculum and what they like about using it. They talk about how the technology has positively impacted their learning.
Khamani talks to Ellise Hayward about her job as a motivational speaker, a disabilities correspondent for Jill Dando News and how she uses assistive technology including eye gaze to support her communication and to promote awareness of cerebral palsy.
Comedian Lee Ridley aka Lost Voice Guy talks to Khamani about his education, his introduction to assistive technology to support his learning and education and how he felt about having his first book ‘I’m Only In it for the Parking’ published.
Beth Moulam competed in the sport Boccia at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. She is also a public speaker, a Social Policy Graduate and a great advocate for Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) and communication inclusion.
Khamani spoke to Beth about the high tech AAC she uses to communicate, her journey to the Paralympic Games, the exciting places she has visited, the people who inspire her, and more.
Khamani chatted to Daisy who is in 6th Form College at Burlington House about the assistive technology she uses to support her studies.
Abdi Omar has cerebral palsy which prevents him from talking in the usual way so he uses high tech AAC to communicate. Due to his limited mobility, Abdi uses his head to control his mouse. You will notice that he has a small dot in the middle of his forehead – this is part of his AAC devices and is called a NuPoint HeadPoint system that uses an optical sensor to track the small reflective dot on his forehead. It converts the natural movement of Abdi’s head to accurately control the pointer on his screen. Key selection is activated by dwelling over the desired key.
Abdi has worked as a motivational speaker for more than ten years inspiring and motivating other people with disabilities to overcome the barriers they face.
Toby Hewson uses high tech AAC to communicate and works as a motivational speaker. His aim is to teach children and young people that disabled people are just like themselves, they just do things in a different way.
In this conversation Khamani chats to Georgina Studd about her use of assistive technology to support her communication.
Georgina has cerebral palsy but has not let this stop her from living independently and attending college where she studied performing arts and media.