On today’s show, we focus on resources here in California for people who are unable to speak or whose speech may be difficult to understand. Through the Voice Options program, eligible Californians who are unable to speak or who have difficulty speaking can receive a free speech-generating device. They can also test out various speech-generating apps in order to know which app is best for them. 

We’re joined by a roundtable of guests with deep knowledge in this area. Tim Burkhart, Elizabeth Wood and Megan Sampson are with us. They are with the Voice Options Program at the California Department of Rehabilitation. FREED is one of 24 Voice Options providers in the state.

And Annette Seabury is also with us. Annette is one of FREED’s Assistive Technology Specialist and coordinator of the Voice Options program at FREED. She is a Speech-Language Pathologist with a long history of working with assistive technology, particularly in schools.