Serving You Remotely & Other COVID-19 Resources

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The safety of our Bridging Voice network remains our top priority. With increased risk of respiratory issues associated with bacterial and viral infections, it is especially important to keep our ALS community safe and at a distance from potential harm.

As we all continue to take proper precautions during the COVID-19 pandemic, our team at Bridging Voice remains committed to putting safety first and dedicated to assisting our ALS community with their communication and computer access needs. Even when practicing social distancing and self-isolation, communication remains essential to our quality of life.

Bridging Voice specializes in remote services and provides communication device education and support. While we have been focused on providing remote support to the ALS community over the past year, our telecommunication oriented services are more important than ever as we suppress the spread of the virus and #StayHome. 

Our team is available by phone as well as through remote video and computer control sessions to assist people with ALS and other neurodegenerative diseases seven days a week with training, setup and support. Examples of the assistance we provide remotely include:

  • Mounting and positioning your eye tracking device for successful calibration
  • Setting up your banked voice & messages in your speech device
  • Training on software to enable independent communication
  • Phone calls, texting and email through the eye tracking device
  • Surf the web, shop online, social media, play games, music and completely control your computer as well as your TV
  • Troubleshooting eye tracking issues and any unexpected problems with your device
  • Advanced software customizations for challenging situations and when there are changes in the user’s abilities 

Below are resources that are especially useful during the COVID-19 outbreak:

  • As a public service, the Patient-Provider Communication Forum, with support from the United States Society of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (USSAAC), is providing a FREE bank of communication tools for you to download and print, created in response to the COVID-19 crisis: patientprovidercommunication.org 
  • CDC guidelines on how to protect yourself from COVID-19: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prepare/prevention.html
  • Lastly, It’s important to always clean your equipment, especially in this current environment. We recommend referring to your device’s user guide for specific tips and techniques to properly disinfect your technology.

Bridging Voice is an Assistive Technology nonprofit that provides services to people with ALS for their communication technology. Bridging Voice provides this support at NO COST. Please contact us by email at [email protected] or by phone at 718-313-0030 to schedule a consultation.