Wednesday 21 August 2019

Someone has stolen

the computer which also acts as communication device for a thirteen year old girl.
Jessica has cerebral palsy. Her only means of communication, apart from "yes" (by looking up) and "no" (by looking down) is the special computer designed to allow her to "speak" in a manner similar to the late Stephen Hawking.
It was stolen from her mother's car on Monday.
No, I don't know Jessica but I do know a number of people like her. I have taught them. I know how immensely challenging it is to communicate in the way that Jessica does. I know how hard it is to learn to use such a device. I know how frustrating it is to communicate even with the help of one of those devices. It is very, very hard work. It isn't the free and easy means of communication that most of us enjoy. A communication barrier like that is a barrier to ALL social interaction with other people. When it comes to communicating with strangers the barrier can seem insurmountable. When eye-gaze is all you have your world is minuscule compared with that of those who can use their voice.
So, if by any faint chance, anyone happens to know anything about the rotten low-life who stole Jessica's computer then please do something now.  It's her world. Please!

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