Bruce Roberts -Profile of Success for July 2002
"Can
I take it in the swimming pool with me," asked Bruce Roberts while beta
testing the Liberator.
Bruce, a Jimmy Buffet fan, has been using PRC's augmentative communication devices since his car accident at age 18. After he recovered from a traumatic closed-head injury, which left him unable to speak, his family and friends researched a means for Bruce to communicate. After using a wooden spelling communication board for a while, his mom said, "It was wonderful when Bruce got his first device, the Memowriter."
A few years later, he was introduced to the Touch Talker, which he became immediately fascinated with because he now had a voice. Over the past years, he has used a Liberator, Delta Talker and has recently obtained a Pathfinder. Bruce states, "My Delta Talker lets me talk, kind of like everyone else."
To his friends and family, Bruce is known for his jokes. "I use jokes as conversation icebreaker with people I do not know." He also uses current events or his recent activities to start conversations. One of his favorite things to tell people about is his trips. Bruce lives with his parent's in Clear Lake, Texas, near the Gulf of Mexico. In his spare time, he enjoys going fishing in his boat. His retired dad has modified their boat so it is accessible for Bruce. His dad has also modified several fishing rods, including electric reels, which can be worked by using the push of a button. On his last fishing trip to Louisiana he caught seven nice speckled trout.
Not only does Bruce use his device for communication but it also gives him the independence to control his home environment. He is able to control electrical appliances such as lights, fans, TVs, etc. With the ability to independently control his surroundings, he does not have to call on people to do the little things for him like turning on his collection of neon lights.
Over the years, he has gotten great enjoyment from using augmentative devices produced by PRC. He feels that he has been able to live a "normal" life after his accident due to developments in technology.