ALSA Iowa Chapter Speak It

This application was designed to assist people who have ALS. Although this application is provided free of charge, a free will donation to the ALS Association Iowa Chapter would be greatly appreciated. By supporting the Iowa Chapter you are helping to provide supportive care and assistance to people living with ALS.

Credit card donations may be made from our web site by clicking on the donations link to right.

ALS Speak IT developer, Dave Krier, is an active volunteer and member of the ALS Association Iowa Chapter. He is currently serving on the Board of Directors.

Dave has developed this application to benefit our many PALS who need alternative ways of communication with their care givers. Please take a moment to read Dave’s story below prior to submitting your request for a free copy of the "Speak IT" software.

The ALSA Iowa Chapter wishes to thank Dave for his generous contribution.

Dave's Story

"My mother was diagnosed with ALS in December of 1998 at the age of 54. This marked the beginning of a very emotional time for my family.

In the Spring of 2002, my mother had surgery to prepare her ofr use of a ventilator. As part of the post surgery procedures my mother was taken to a rehabilitation center to help her adjust to the ventilator. Because my mother could not speak while on the ventilator, we had to find alternative ways to communicate. I have never been very good at charades, or lip reading, so needless to say we both had a difficult time. Through trial and error we found that a note pad or a laptop computer was the easiest way to communicate.

During these first few weeks, a salesman handing out brochures on speech assistance devices approached my family. A few days went by and the salesman came back to demo one of the devices. The demo unit was programmed to speak some very basic phrases, but was not configurable to speak any customized phrases. As a computer programmer who's familiar with the technology used within this device, I began to mock up my own prototype. I focused on maintaining the simplicity of the device while enhancing the ability to customize the phrases behind the buttons.

Having been personally affected by my mother's inability to verbally communicate, I would like to offer this application free of charge to anyone affected by ALS.

I dedicate this application to my mother, Mary Krier."

Please complete the following form and click the submit button to receive your free copy of the "ALS Speak IT" kit or to download a copy from this web site. The kit includes a pocket (or mini) CD with the install application and an instructions manual as well as a printed instruction and installation manual. If you elect to download a copy of "ALS Speak IT", justt click on the Speak It Manual below to view and/or print it for the installation and program instructions.

If you select to have your copy of Speak It mailed to you, please allow 2 to 3 weeks for delivery.

Downloading Speak It will take approximately 2 to 5 minutes depending upon your internet connection. Since we do not charge for this application this helps us to keep our costs at minimum. Thank you for your consideration.