The Grid 2-89224 Product Overview The Grid 2 is an all-in-one package for communication and access. The Grid 2 allows people with limited or unclear speech to use a computer as a voice output communication aid, using symbols or text to build sentences. Product Description The Grid 2 is accessible to everybody, accepting input from eye gaze, switches, headpointer, touchscreen, mouse, and other options too. Access your Windows desktop and other programs, with the built in Computer Control features. Plus, send and receive email and SMS messages, browse the web, listen to music... and more! It requires a PC running Windows XP, Vista, Windows 7 or Windows 8. Symbol Chat Symbols are useful to people with no literacy skills, as well as helping those with limited literacy to develop a larger vocabulary. Different users can cope with widely varying levels of complexity in their symbol systems. The Grid can take the user from very simple communication screens to the more advanced arrangements. Instant communication Set up a grid with just a few cells that speak as soon as they are selected. For example, have yes, no, I need some help please and I want to do something else.
Sentence building Moving on from this, you can have cells that contain elements of a sentence, and build sentences to allow more freedom of expression. Link together several grids to provide a larger vocabulary divided into topics (this is often referred to as dynamic screen communication ). Typically, the first page you see displays a number of topics. Selecting a topic leads to a grid with vocabulary specific to that topic. Grid sets There are a number of ready-made grid sets (sometimes called pre-stored vocabularies) available, designed for different levels of literacy and with different approaches to arranging vocabulary. Once you have selected a grid set, you can customize it as much as needed, adding to the vocabulary and expanding the topics available. You can also start from scratch and create your own communication system. Symbol options The Grid 2 is compatible with many types of symbols and photographs. Widgit Symbols and SeeSense are included with The Grid 2. Text Chat The Grid 2 provides quick and accurate text communication for literate users. Grids can be simple typing grids, or more complicated setups with stored messages and prediction. Write sentences by spelling words or selecting complete words, and then speak them aloud. Type using:
a physical keyboard (including adapted keyboards) a keyboard grid, displaying a keyboard on the screen grids with complete words or phrases Storing messages The Grid 2 allows you to create, edit, store and recall thousands of messages. To store text that you have written, save it to your message list. To locate a message later, just start typing one of the words in the message and The Grid 2 will find it for you. You can save up to 10 separate message lists. One example for using this is in different social situations (at home, at work, at the shops, etc). Writing tools The Grid 2 has a number of tools to help write more quickly and accurately. Choose your keyboard layout You decide how to arrange the keyboard. Prediction Typists used to a computer keyboard may prefer a qwerty layout Early leaners may find it easier with an alphabetical keyboard Many switch users have frequency-of-use layouts, with the most commonly used letters available in the least time If you need really big cells (e.g. for some eye-gaze or touch screen users) you can even divide the letters between a number of different grids People using auditory feedback might have a the alphabet split into rows, each row starting with a vowel As you type, The Grid 2 can suggest the word that you are typing. The Grid 2 can display symbols next to words and suggested words can be spoken aloud to help with word finding and identification. The Grid 2's advanced prediction system learns as you write, so words that you use regularly are given higher priority. You can choose to spell-check the prediction automatically to avoid it learning mistakes, and you can edit the prediction dictionary to add or remove words. SwiftKey The Grid 2.7 features the fantastic SwiftKey writing system. It works just like predictive text on a mobile phone, giving users access to the whole alphabet on a grid with as few as 8 cells. This gives Grid 2 users the ability to create sentences faster and more accurately than with more traditional grid layouts. The Grid 2 will work out the most likely word that is being spelled out by the user and enter it into the sentence bar. You can easily choose a different word if the one suggested isn't the one that you want.
SwiftKey can be integrated into any communication system using The Grid 2 and, as with all features of The Grid 2, SwiftKey can be customized to create the best solution for each individual user. Sounds-like Using phonetic matching, The Grid 2 can suggest words that sound similar to a word that you have typed, which can be a great way to help find the right word. Spelled-like The Grid 2 can suggest words with a similar spelling to the one you are writing. Verb morphology You can display the different versions of a verb to aid correct grammar. Symbols can help to identify the parts of a verb and get correct verb agreement. Out-of-the-box flexibility The Grid 2 comes with ready-made grids for text communication. It also works with other popular communication vocabularies. You can also create your own grids or edit the provided grids to create your perfect text communication system. You can make a grid with the things that you need on it, and link to other grids with other useful options friends names, alternate word lists, or the option of sending your writing as an email or text message. Computer Control The Grid 2 includes all the features you need to use everyday Windows programs, without using a standard keyboard and mouse. Control your computer Replace a keyboard, a mouse - or both! The Grid 2 replaces your keyboard, so you can type into other programs, write Word documents or emails, use the internet and more. The Grid is accessible with switches, touch screen, headpointer, joystick... and many more. All of these can be used for Computer Control. The Grid 2 also replaces your mouse, so you can move the mouse and click anywhere on the screen. Get smart, get fast The Grid 2 uses smart techniques to speed up access. For example, using switches with The Grid 2 you can access a menu item in a program (for example, saving a document in Word) by moving the mouse to the File menu, then clicking, moving to Save and clicking again. This works, but is quite slow. The Grid 2 also allows you to scan the menu directly - so you scan across to File, and then down to Save. Much faster!
Better yet, for commonly used functions you can set up a single cell to perform the action. For example, you can save in Word by typing Control-s on the keyboard, so our Word grids include a cell that types Control-s, providing access to the save function in just one selection! Faster typing too The dictionary options in The Grid 2 allow you to speed up typing with prediction suggesting complete words as you type, automatic capitalization, abbreviation expansion and more. Use any software The Grid 2 can be used with almost all Windows programs. Here are just a few that people use with The Grid 2 every day: Word processing (Word, Writing With Symbols, Communicate: InPrint) Email (e.g. Outlook, Thunderbird, Hotmail) Web browsing (Internet Explorer or Firefox) Games Office software (PowerPoint, Excel) You can design your own grids for The Grid 2, and it is easy to add support for other programs that you want to use. Access The Grid 2 has been designed to be accessed by everyone, from those with complex disabilities to people with good motor control. Switches Switches are one of the most common alternatives to a keyboard and mouse for people with disabilities. Switches come in many shapes and sizes, and can be used almost anywhere there is a reliable, reproducible physical movement. The Grid 2 supports the use of up to 8 switches, although most people use just one or two. Making selections using switches involves a process called scanning, in which cells are highlighted in turn. The Grid 2 has many options for scanning to allow all users to get the most efficient and least frustrating setup. Some of the switch features include: Simple or row-column scanning Automatic, tap-to-advance or hold-to-advance scans Adjustable switch timing Hold a switch for a long time for a different action Use additional switches for extra functions Filtering of accidental switch presses Switch settings preview (for testing settings as you change them) Touch screen
Touch screens are a very common way to access a communication aid. A touch screen provides direct access to the options on the screen. Using a touch screen in The Grid 2 is straightforward. The following options are available: Headpointer Ignore accidental presses Select "on touch", "on release" or by holding down your finger Magnified cells Fix grid layouts so that a keyguard can be used Head pointers detect head movement. The Grid 2 allows you to make selection with a switch or by resting on a cell, and supports use with other programs via Computer Control. Eye gaze The Grid 2 has comprehensive support for several major eye gaze systems. The eye gaze features include: Select with dwell, blink or external switch User-adjustable selection time Selection of ways to show highlight and dwell selection, including option to show/hide the gaze point Eye monitor to provide feedback from camera Rest function to provide a break from eye gaze Keyboard and mouse You can also access The Grid 2 with a standard or modified keyboard and mouse. The speech and word finding features in The Grid 2 allow quick and effective voice output communication, whilst the simplified email and SMS grids can allow people who are not proficient with computers to access these methods of communication. Languages The Grid 2 is available in many languages and includes the latest life-like and natural sounding voices from Acapela. Most languages include both male and female voices, and you can also use The Grid 2 multilingually, switching between languages when you need to. Unless specified, all languages have been fully translated. Full translations provide the following in your own language: sample grid sets ability to make your own grid sets translated menus Acapela speech included dictionaries, and other spelling and grammar tools symbol searches
Speech When you license one The Grid 2, you may choose any Acapela voice for the language in which you have purchased the program. If you require additional languages, they may be purchased separately. The Grid 2 also supports all standard SAPI 4 and SAPI 5 voices, so it is easy to buy your own voice if the ones provided with The Grid 2 are not quite what you are looking for. Editing Editing grids in The Grid 2 have been designed to be easy and fast. The dedicated "editing mode" allows you to design grids quickly. Common tasks The common tasks bar on the left changes according to what you have selected, so relevant common tasks are available in one click. Mouse and keyboard control Use the mouse to select several cells, drag-and-drop cells and resize cells quickly. Keyboard shortcuts speed up the most common tasks such as copying cells to the clipboard. Quick cell editing All the options for each cell can be seen on one screen, making it quick to see the setup for a cell.
Quick shortcuts allow you to create vocab cells, keyboard keys, jump cells and other common cells in just a few clicks of the mouse. Powerful commands The cells themselves are programmed using a visual system of commands. Simply select the commands you want and add them to a cell; those commands will then be performed when the cell is selected. For example, adding a "speak" command will speak out loud, whilst adding a "jump" command will jump to another grid. Grid Sets Grid sets are pre-made collections of grids, usually designed for communication. There are a number of free grid sets included with The Grid 2, and also some other grid sets available to purchase. Most grid sets are available with Widgit or PCS symbols. However, the grid sets Starting Blocks and Talk Together are only available with PCS symbols which is an add-on for The Grid 2, and must also be purchased. Currently, the grid sets Talkative and Seashell are available with Widgit symbols only.