I am a 32 year-old Melbournian, from Australia! I live with my Mum and youngest brother Cameron. I'm the oldest of four children and have two sisters Danielle and Monique. Danielle has made me an an aunty of two gorgeous boys Declan and Quinn and our little girl Eve! They are my life and I believe as their Aunty it's my job to spoil them rotten!
I was born with severe Athetoid Cerebral Palsy which is a physical disability, but intellectually I'm like any other 32 year-old. Click here for a definition of Cerebral Palsy.
I went to both a mainstream primary and secondary schools. In 1997 I completed my VCE and three years later I completed my Diploma in Arts of Professional Writing and Editing.
Due to my disability I’m unable to verbally speak so I communicate by using my computers. Actually people say I talk more than some verbal people! When I'm out 'n about I use a laptop which has voice output so I do have a voice. After years of having an American voice which was quite horrible to think of it, I found an Aussie voice!!
Until 2008 I was using my laptop and desktop computers with a program called E Z Keys from Words+ via a headswitch. This was very slow and fatiguing and I just had enough of feeling like rubbish from typing all the time. After trialling an eyegaze system and experiencing no headaches and fatigue, I began my hunt for a better way to type.
After months of searching I looked up at my webcam, wondering... One day after continuing to search for about a year, I discovered a FREE program called Camera Mouse program from here. This program with the onscreen keyboard program called The Grid 2 changed my life! The Camera Mouse program lets you move the mouse cusor with head movements, so I selected the key by moving my head and dwelling on it.
I In 2009 I trialled an Intelligaze eyegaze system and it was awesome. I could achieve all my duties as a music blogger as well as keep up with e-mails and have online chats with friends without getting headaches and exhausted!
In February 2010 I received my very own Intelligaze eyegaze system from Alea Technologiesafter months of raising money. Please check our the eyegaze sponsors page to see who helped me.
Having my own eyegaze system connected to my home desktop computer is great! It means I can be a writer without constantly suffering from fatigue and headaches. This is awesome and I feelso much better healthwise.
Unfortunately for the moment I still have to use my headswitch on Toshi (laptop) as the Intelligaze isn't portable. I'm hoping one day they make a portable system that feeds off my wheelchair batteries.
Since finishing my Diploma I've had articles and poetry published in several magazines and newspapers. In March 2008 I was accepted by Orble to start my own music blog at www.gigsnreviews.com. These days I review and sometimes interview mostly artists and bands who aren't well-known, giving them some free publicity. I'm really enjoying it as I had always wanted to be a music journalist!
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