Software speech opinions

[Doug Sutherland]

There is another problem with assistive tech, I'm not sure if 
or how much this applies to speech, but it became clear to 
me when discussing ideas for assistive products or projects
with people of the type who have money. In every single 
circumstance, the answer was: there are grants for that. 
Since the work is done by grants, that is also a way to 
keep prices jacked up. I have spoken with many people
who needs various types of assistive tech and I was quite
shocked at the reality of the situation. One woman needed
just some kind of special chair and it was thousands of 
dollars, it can't be done without insurance or some kind of
beaurocratic "process'. And herein lies the rub, the people
who can make these things affordable do not on purpose.
It would seem to be part of the "club" of people who feed
each others business interests. I even had one executive 
type say to me "we are not philantropists" when proposing
an assistive tech idea. He didn't get it, there is a market 
and the market is not "free" because it's artifically inflated
by the beurocracy that believes you need "grants" to do 
anything. I say BS, it's time for some people to just get 
out and do things, assume they do not need a grant to 
get an idea moving. It may be slower and uphill but then
not relying on "grants" means not being in the "game" 
that keeps assistive tech away from people who need it.

  -- Doug