Frank Jurgens (left) and Martin Almon, both of Germany, are shown receiving the Pathfinders they were awarded through the “40 for 40” program.

Martin Almon

Martin was previously a Deltatalker user and became one of the first users of German Wortstrategie. He made a decision to improve his language skills with the help of his device. In the course of the last few years he has become an enormously effective communicator, becoming active in ISAAC and has made a major contribution to the development of the German chapter.

In recent years Martin has worked with other AAC users to develop a training program to enable AAC consumers to make their own input into AAC training seminars.

Martin has also worked for PRD as a consumer consultant at several exhibitions.

Frank was originally supplied with a device that had no speech output, and for many years has tried unsuccessfully to obtain funding through insurance companies and through the court system to upgrade to first a Deltatalker, and then a Pathfinder.