Imagine yourself with quadriplegic cerebral palsy. You have no control of your arms or legs and your speech may or may not be understandable. What would you need to take your place in this world? You need two basic things: to move and to communicate. Today's rapidly changing technology is making more things possible for more people.

The wheelchair

People use the very curious phrase "confined to a wheelchair," when the phrase should really say "freed by a wheelchair." A wheelchair is what allows its user to get around and without it she would genuinely be confined. If she has quadriplegic cerebral palsy she probably has two chairs: one that depends on very low tech human pushing and pulling and one electric chair. The electric wheelchair is commonly operated with a joystick, but our example can't use her hands or fingers. She can activate and steer the wheelchair by using her neck and chin on a pad in front of her, or she may use a sip and puff switch to control the chair with her lips and breath.

She needs to get in and out of her home. A specially equipped door can be opened by going across a laser beam or by driving across a floor switch. Once out, she can take assisted transportation.

Using the phone

A simple pad switch can be attached to the wheelchair and activated merely by turning one's head and hitting the pad with a cheek. This calls a special operator and the person then verbally gives the operator the number she wants.

Controlling the environment

An Environmental Control Unit, or ECU can be installed and switch activated to turn on and off electrical appliances such as the T.V., radio, or air conditioner. The switch can be a laser beam or a floor switch.

Using a computer

If a person has no understandable speech or speech which is extremely hard to understand, she can communicate using special computer programs. These programs are basically text anticipation programs which put up a selection of "guesses" as to which the next word will be and the user clicks on the correct word. Others then read the message, or listen to the computer converted speech.

But how does she operate the mouse? There are programs which allow eye movement to move and click the mouse. The mouse can also be controlled by head tracking or manipulated using a sip and puff switch.

If her speech is clear enough, the computer can be operated by way of speech recognition programs. These control the mouse by verbal commands and convert speech into typed text.

For people who are unable to read, the computer will read whatever text it's on. Special flatbed scanners will read books and convert text to speech on a tape or disc. These scanners are found in some libraries and in most college's centers for person's with disabilities.

The cup holder

The cup holder is so obvious that it is often overlooked. People who are quadriplegic are often not sufficiently hydrated because they are sometimes alone and also because they are reluctant to keep asking someone to hold a cup for them. The cup holder needs have a full range of movement so it can be placed so the straw is easily accessed. It needs to be able to hold a cup large enough to hold liquids for several hours.

How is all this paid for?

Medicare or Medicaid may pay for some things, certainly for a wheelchair. Social Security has two programs called the PASS program and the ERWE program which will pay for equipment needed to prepare a person to enter the workforce or to support her when she is in the workforce. In many states the departments of rehabilitation will pay for equipment.