Technology is transforming the lives of many people with disabilities.

Just ask Brian Parker.

In 1997, Brian was the Chief Executive Officer of CITEC, the Queensland Government’s services company and one of the largest ICT development shops in Australia. That year, Brian was diagnosed with a brain stem tumour, which paralysed the left hand side of his body.

During his rehabilitation, Brian spent two months ‘locked-in’ to his body. “I was unable to move, unable to communicate, all I could do was listen,” Brian says.

The experience had a profound affect on Brian. “I think anyone who has experienced the sense of isolation can empathise with the plight of people with permanent paralysis or communication difficulties,” he says.

More than five percent of the population face communication challenges at one time or another in their lives. “Communication is the catalyst for improving the quality of life for many people with disabilities, and helps them to protect their rights as equal citizens in our society. I decided to find a technological solution that would overcome the communication barrier, and to decrease the sense of isolation these people face.”

Thus BOSS was born.

BOSS is a universal communications and control system designed to aid people with complex and profound disabilities (especially those disabilities involving communication impairments and major paralysis).

The BOSS solution is designed to operate on industry standard PCs available everywhere. An individualised switch allows the operator to use the system by giving a single ‘yes’ response via their hand, head or eyelid (whichever is the most appropriate movement). By this means, an operator can effectively type, speak, control a TV and more.

Still in its pilot phase, BOSS will one day be used by people with muscular dystrophy, motor neurones disease, cerebral palsy, acquired brain injury and stroke. “But BOSS can be used effectively by anyone to overcome their communication problems,” Brian explains.

Current plans are to add a number of new functions to BOSS, including icon menus with pre-recorded voices, text-to-voice synthesisers, email, basic authoring, printer output instead of voice, SMS, and control of a DVD or CD player.

Just like any other project, the extent of distribution and impact of BOSS will be determined by the availability of funds and involvement of volunteers from the community. Brian has established an Association, Technology Team Solutions (TTS) to further extend BOSS’ capabilities and reach. TTS believes that, with the right resourcing and support, it can achieve a major impact in two-to-four years. With substantial volunteer staff, TTS could achieve its goals in a much shorter timeframe.

“Our vision is to develop an open source product that is available free-of-charge, over the Internet. We believe this will encourage product expansion and enable us to develop a system that works for anyone, anywhere, anytime,” Brian explains.

“I think we’ve stumbled across the simplest of all designs. BOSS is universal in its application, in that it doesn’t use new technology, but instead uses existing technology in a smarter way.”

Technology such as BOSS enables people with disabilities not only to keep up, but to level the playing field. It promises more opportunities in many respects than generations before.

For Brian, this type of technology increases quality of life by emphasising what people can do instead of what they cannot. “People with disabilities have a broad range of capabilities, so when they have a device like this, it brings them to a place of empowerment.”

According to Brian, the project development has been possible because of AIIA and the Queensland Branch, driven by Martin Lack in particular.

“The generous support of AIIA has kept us going in the most critical early stages of development, when the majority of innovative ideas tend to die off,” Brian says. “There is a long way to go with our project but I remain convinced that TTS and the BOSS innovation will change the lives of many thousands of people in Australia and internationally.”

Special recognition must be made to a number of AIIA member companies that have provided hardware and software to support the project, including Hitachi Data Systems, Security Mail, Microsoft, Dell and Mincom.

“AIIA member companies have also made financial donations to keep this project alive. It’s very generous and really shows that technologists – and the industry as a whole – is not just about making money, but has a real heart. A little donation has planted the seed which will not end up being a big tree, but a bloody forest!”

TTS is interested in any support (financial, in-kind or voluntary) that may assist it in the pursuit of its goals. For more information on how your company can get involved, contact Brian Parker on
(07) 3030 8567 or email bjparker@tts-talk.com.

Brian Parker: "AIIA member companies have made financial donations to keep this project alive. It’s very generous and really shows that the industry as a whole is not just about making money, but has a real heart."