tobii or not tobii

That is the question. 

The first time I came across a eye tracking device was when I was browsing through videos of ALS patients soon after my diagnosis. It was being used by a completely bed ridden woman in the US. I presumed the device was tobii. But I never thought that I would need something similar so soon.

The whole of last year was about me becoming more and more quiet. As my speech became unclear I began adapting. I stopped initiating any conversation, I spoke only when spoken to. I never speak out of context, I only mention something if it is absolutely necessary. I  mostly use keywords or nod yes or no. And sometimes I just look at something I need. The o.g. Eye gaze so to speak. Lol.

However there are too many misunderstandings with this approach. Also it is tiring because its like playing a never ending game of dumb charades. But mainly it meant that I was only able to communicate the bare necessities and not express myself which is a basic human requirement. 

That is why I decided to invest in tobii, a device which when connected to a laptop helps me communicate by tracking the movement of my eyes. In fact this is how I am typing this blog. Just like Dobby was a faithful friend to Harry Potter, my new friend tobii helps me do a lot of things. I can communicate with my family, I can use my laptop without touching it, it even has a pre loaded menu of everything that a disabled person may need.  For a tech professional like me it has been rather easy to get used to.  The only caveat is, I still need someone to position me properly in front of the laptop and switch it on. It is also rather expensive but I am finding it worth the price.

The truth about ALS is while neurologists have not done much to cure ALS, at least engineers have developed the technology to help us patients.

As Dobby would say, I am free. Finally.