National Assistive Technology Act Data System

The Voice Options Program is a collaboration between the Department of Rehabilitation and the California Public Utilities Commission to provide speech-generating devices to Californians through long-term loans for the purpose of ensuring equitable telecommunication. This program is administered through community-based organizations throughout California virtually, in-person, in home, and by mail. The process of obtaining a device includes a demonstration of six speech-generating applications, a short-term loan of all applications on an iPad with ancillary hardware needed for successful use, and an open-ended loan after identification of preferred application. Each Voice Options Program consumer receives a new iPad, their chosen speech-generating application, a case, charger, and any additional devices needed to utilize the device comfortably and successfully (e.g., a wheelchair mount, stylus, etc.). Evelyn is a young adult woman living with Cerebral Palsy. She is nonverbal and uses a motorized wheelchair. Evelyn reached out to Southern California Resource Services for Independent Living (SCRS), a Voice Options Program Provider, after receiving a Voice Options Program flier. She scheduled an appointment with SCRS and was provided a demonstration of the applications and shown how to use the device to make phone calls – something Evelyn had not done before. Evelyn called her mother and said, “I love you, Mom,” which overwhelmed her mother with emotion hearing her daughter say this for the first time. Evelyn is now a proud Voice Options Program recipient and uses her device in her daily life for work, school, and play.

As this consumer was using a loaned device from her school, she had a lot of anxiety as her access to a speech-generating device was limited and timebound. After going through the Voice Options Program process, this consumer was able to work with her speech-language pathologist to transfer her language library to her long-term loan device, which allows her the freedom and flexibility to express herself whenever and wherever she pleases. They are beyond grateful for this opportunity and the promptness in which it was handled.