Noteboom The Law Firm

New Software Gives Disabled Veterans Independence

December 30, 2010 - Many physical rehabilitation programs' ultimate goal is to have their patients live independently. Getting to this goal requires multiple steps and multiple tools. Four classmates at the State University of New York at Buffalo (SUNY-UB) just made that goal much easier for many disabled veterans. Those 4 students developed a software program allowing disabled veterans to gain their independence by giving them the ability to do all the following with one button:

• typing;
• surfing the Internet;
• listening to music; and
• playing games on the computer.

The program was first developed last spring and according to the university. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) granted Applied Sciences Group (ASG), a technology firm based in Buffalo, $270,000 to create a better communications network to be put into use at the James A. Haley Tampa, Florida VA Spinal Cord Injury Center. The students worked in conjunction with ASG to adapt their program to the needs of the Tampa VA. 

A second group of UB students is currently developing speech-generation software to be similarly adapted. This software will allow veterans unable to verbally communicate to generate communications through:

• the software itself;
• email;
• text messages; and
• Skype.

The software will also allow these disabled veterans to control both lights and their TVs through their computer. Both technologies work differently, though both are designed to adapt to various limitations. Both technologies will help disabled veterans live fuller, more independent lives.