An eye gaze device is essentially a traditional tablet, however instead of using your hands or a mouse to navigate the screen, your eyes do the scrolling. Thanks to an inbuilt light sensor, the tablet monitors reflections from the pupils, tracking eye movements and converting them into mouse movements and co-ordinated commands. By looking anywhere on the screen, the user’s eye controls the cursor, while blinking performs a click. The accessibility of eye gaze technology is much the same as any off the shelf computer, so it can accommodate for more sophisticated demands such as right, double and left clicks, which gives the user much more freedom. When paired with appropriate software, the synthesised voice will iterate words and sentences based on the input of the user. Akin to Grid Pads and Lightwriters, eye gaze machines also have internet and Bluetooth connectivity, allowing for the sending and receiving of emails, text messages and controlling the surrounding environment.

Who Can Use Them?

As eye gaze machines can be loaded with Grid Pad software, almost anybody with communication difficulties can use one, even if they are non-verbal. These devices are slightly more accessible than Grid Pads or Lightwriters, because even people who are totally immobile can use them, providing they can move their eyes. Eye gaze tablets also accommodate for those who may have mobility disorders with inbuilt shake detection, which counteracts head movements and allows for better control of the mouse for these individuals. Due to this unique focus on mobility as well as communication, this device is well suited to those with Motor Neurone Disease, Cerebral Palsy, Musculor Dystophy, Rett Syndrome or stroke victims, to name just a few.