Now, eye language to beat speech-difficulty

NAVI MUMBAI: An effective communication guide for paralysed

people

having difficulty in speech was inaugurated in the city on Monday.

Titled

Blink

To Speak, the communication guide is done using the eyes. “With simple 50 movements of the eyes like blinking, winking, rolling and moving eyeballs from one side to other a person with difficulty in speech can communicate his or her necessities, problems, fear, anxiety or any other condition when the body is motionless, said Dr

Hemangi Sane

, a wheelchair bound Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)-affected person, founder president of Asha Ek Hope and deputy director of Neurogen Brain and Spine Institute, Seawoods, Navi Mumbai.

The foundation in association with the institute inaugurated Blink To Speak.

“It is helpful for patients suffering from motor neuron diseases. This is probably the world’s first eye language guide, which will help affected persons as well as caregivers, doctors and nurses to convey messages to each other and ease the gap of communication,” said Dr Alok Sharma, professor of Sion Hospital and the director of the institute.

This guide book with a set of a few commands was conceived and developed by Geet Rathi, Arshia Jain and their team of volunteers. Rathi said, “Furious eye blinking symbolizes emergency, two winks mean there is a problem and thus there are several steps which have been described in this eye language guide.”

The book is available free of cost from the institute and can be downloaded from its website as well.

Though currently the guide is available in English, it will be published in regional languages soon.