The spinal cord is the main conduit of communication between the brain and the nerves in the body. A spinal cord injury is like a break in a transmission line, causing disruption in communication to and from the area below the point of the injury. That can affect sensory and/or motor function. Generally, the higher up the spinal injury, the greater the degree of functional loss. An injury in the lower spine may only affect the limbs and bladder/bowel function. An injury in the neck area can affect the lower and upper limbs as well as the ability to breathe (due to loss of diaphragm function).

According to the National Spinal Cord Injury Information Network, between 227,080 and 300,938 Americans are living with a spinal cord injury. About 12,000 new cases occur each year. Males are affected about four times more often than females. The most common causes of spinal cord injury are motor vehicle crashes (42 percent), falls (27.1 percent), acts of violence (15.3 percent) and sports injury (7.4 percent).

Adaptations for Computer Use

Computers open a doorway to the entire world and provide information and entertainment at the click of a mouse. For people with disabilities, like a spinal cord injury, a computer and Internet access can be a lifeline, enabling a user to communicate with others, get vital health information and shop online.

The standard equipment for computer use are a keyboard and mouse. But people who have limited or no hand mobility are unable to use these tools. Instead, they may rely on one or more adaptive devices or software, like a trackball, a touch pad or touch screen, joystick, head-tracking device or pointer.

The Vocal Joystick

Voice recognition software is sometimes used to create documents, input data, surf the Internet and control computer functions. However, it takes a considerable amount of training to "teach" the computer to recognize a user's voice. In addition, the software is very inefficient for continuous tasks and better suited for short commands.

Researchers at the University of Washington have developed a new type of computer access tool, called the Vocal Joystick. The device uses vocal sounds rather than words to control "mouse" commands. Different vowel sounds (like "ah," "ee" or "oo") make the cursor move in the appropriate direction. Speed of the cursor is controlled by volume. The louder the sound, the faster the cursor moves on a page. Two other sounds, "k" and "ch" substitute for the mouse clicks.

Jeff Bilmes, Ph.D., Electrical Engineer and Researcher, says little training is needed for the Vocal Joystick. Volunteers that have tested the software learned to navigate the command in just a few minutes. So far, it has been used to play a video game, draw a picture and browse web pages. Researchers have even adapted the technology to control a robot arm. Eventually, investigators are hopeful the software can be applied to wireless home automation devices.

Bilmes expects the Vocal Joystick to be available for downloading by June. He says the technology could be used by just about anyone, as long as they can make vocal sounds. The only extra hardware required is a microphone and sound card. For more information and updates on availability, log onto the researchers' website at http://ssli.ee.washington.edu/vj.

For information about the Vocal Joystick: http://ssli.ee.washington.edu/vj

For information about Assistive Technology:

AbilityHub

The Alliance for Technology Access

Web Accessibility Initiative

For information about spinal cord injuries:

The National Spinal Cord Injury Information Center

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke