Profile
of Success - Scott Palm
I describe myself as pretty easygoing. Almost nothing has bothered me. My life experiences have helped form me into who I am today. My family situation is a bit confusing to say the least. I was raised by my grandmother, but I didn't know she was my grandmother until I was twenty-five years old. My birth mother was young when she had me, so she didn't know what to do and my grandmother took over. My grandmother saw to it that I got the best education possible at that time. In 1988, my grandmother died but I now see my birth mother and sister regularly.
My education was linked to my communication development. In grade school, I was mainstreamed into regular classes to get exposed to being with "normal" kids. I communicated by finger spelling. You can imagine how many people took the time to learn finger spelling back then. This form of communication was only effective with my grandmother, sister and people who knew me very well.
I went on to high school where I used two word boards. When I went to college,
I had a series of electronic devices.
I'm into sci-fi. If it's about outer space -- I am there! I believe that Captain
Jean-Luc Picard is better than James T. Kirk. But Spock is better than Riker.
My biggest challenge has been college. My first big educational landmark came in 1996, when I got an Associate's Degree in Business. While I was pursuing my business degree, I started getting more interested in computers and assistive technology as a result of a number of professional accomplishments. Then, I wanted to continue on a technology track. With the guidance of my counselor, Jim, I started working on a transfer degree to the University of Washington with the aim of getting a Bachelor's Degree in Assistive Technology. I received my transfer degree in 1998, and am currently working on my Bachelor's Degree. The end of my educational journey is in sight! Now after 18 years in college, I have decided to work for a while.
I got my communication device through the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation in 1992. In 1985, I was accepted into the Resource Center for the Handicapped (RCH) computer programming project called Project Entry. There were ten months of in-class training in COBOL programming followed by an internship at a local business. I was using a SpeechPac™, which made communication very difficult because the voice was not clear. I also had problems keyboarding fast enough to meet business standards. However, my DVR counselor continued to work with me.
In 1987, I began doing data entry for the Washington State Liquor Control Board. I was good at the data entry part, but I needed to communicate regularly with my co-workers and the SpeechPac was not working out. My final internship was with Congressman John Miller where I did data entry. This job turned out to be a winner. Two months into my internship, I was hired as a permanent staff member. Soon after that, I got my Liberator, and things got even better. I was interacting more with my co-workers because I could communicate better. I worked with Congressman Miller until he retired in 1992.
One of the things that makes the Liberator so great is its sophisticated features such as the Notebook, Alarm and Calculator. It uses the power of the Minspeak® vocabulary . Increased memory allows me more sophistication and flexibility in my communication.
I am co-chair of the Snohomish County DDD Advisory Board and am able to use the Liberator Notebook feature to facilitate the meeting by programming the opening remarks and any new business that needs to be presented. However, for me the voice is the most important feature. Because people can understand what I am saying, communicating is easier and I feel more confident. I know this has effected how I interact with the public.
Although e-mailing and teleconferencing are easier than traveling, I would like to fly around the country helping people with their devices.