and question him first, and then continue with the rest of the panel. Mr. Tommy Dormer is assisted by his mother, Mrs. Dormer. STATEMENT OF MASTER TOMMY DORMER, ASSISTED BY Master DORMER. Hi. My name is Tommy Dormer. I am in the first grade. I talk by using this machine. Technology helps me do my schoolwork. I would like to tell you my story that I wrote with the computer. The title is: "The Computer Helps Me." The computer helps me to think. I like the computer. It helps me to write and to do my schoolwork. It helps me a lot. I love the computer. I need a computer to do my work. I can play games on the computer. I can draw pictures on the computer. I can make something and give it to a friend. Please help other children like myself who cannot talk. Now my mother will tell you something. Mrs. DORMER. Good morning. My name is Veronica Dormer. This is my son, Tommy Dormer. Mr. OWENS. Could you sit and have a chair next to the microphone? For those of you in the back who couldn't hear, Tommy has told us that his name is Tom Dormer, and he's in the first grade. He says, "I talk by using this machine. Technology helps me do my schoolwork. I will tell you a story that I wrote with the computer. The title is, "The Computer Helps Me.'" The computer helps me to think. I like the computer. It helps me to write and do my schoolwork. It helps me a lot. I love the computer. I need a computer to do my work. I can play games on the computer. I can draw pictures on the computer. I can make something and give it to a friend. Please help other children like myself who cannot talk. My mother will tell you something." And now, Mrs. Dormer. Mrs. DORMER. Yes. This is my son, Tommy Dormer. Eight years ago, when the neurologist called me into his office and told me that Tommy has cerebral palsy, and would not have total control of his body, at the time I felt cheated. Well, today-▬ Mr. OWENS. Would you move the mike a little closer? Mrs. DORMER. Well, due to technology Tommy now writes me notes. He writes his favorite cousin letters. He tells me who his best friend is. He cheered for the Redskins when they won the Super Bowl. The best thing of all is when Tommy, who cannot talk, tells me "Mommy, I love you." Well, there's a lot more that Tommy would be able to do if he could just get the things that he needs. Thank you. [The prepared statement of Tommy Dormer follows:] STATEMENT OF TOM DORMER AND HIS MOTHER, MONTGOMERY COUNTY, MD Tom Dormer: Hi, My name is Tom Dormer. I am here on behalf of all children who need technology. I am in the first grade. I talk by using this machine. Technology helps me do my school work. I will tell you a story I wrote with the computer. The title is: The Computer Helps Me The computer helps me to think. I like the computer. It helps me to write and to do my schoolwork. It helps me a lot. I love the computer. I need a computer to do my work. I can play games on the computer. I can draw pictures on the computer. I can make something and give it to a friend. Please help other children like myself who can not talk. My mother will tell you something. Mrs. Dormer: Eight years ago when the neurologist called me in his office and told me my child had cerebral palsy and he would not have total control of his body, I felt cheated. Well, today, due to the use of computer technology: He now writes me notes He writes letters to his favorite cousin He tells me who his best friend is He cheered for the Redskins when they went to the Super Bowl The best thing of all is when my child who cannot talk says, "Mommy, I Love you!" Without the use of technology, how else could he have done that. Well, there is a lot more Tommy is capable of doing if we could afford to get him the equipment he needs. Thank you. Mr. OWENS. Thank you. Now, Tommy, we hope that you grow up and write books. What is your favorite television show? Mrs. DORMER. His favorite television show is The Cosby Show and Alf. Mr. OWENS. What's your favorite football team? Master DORMER. The Redskins. Go. Mr. OWENS. The Redskins. [Laughter.] Mrs. Dormer, what is the cost of this device? Speak into the mike, please. Mrs. DORMER. This is over $3,000. It was bought by the Society for Underprivileged Children. They were very generous. Mr. OWENS. Now, the computer here also Mrs. DORMER. No, this is his voice. When it's attached to the computer in school, this is when he writes and draws or does other things that a regular computer would do. But without this attached to it, it's not able to do that. Mr. OWENS. Did you opt to pay any portion of that cost? Mrs. DORMER. Not for this, no. Mr. OWENS. But what would a computer cost? Mrs. DORMER. I'm not sure of the price of computers. They're in the thousands of dollars. They have one that they have an hour a day on, in school. That's what he used. This is what he uses at home and in school. Mr. OWENS. What is the possibility of his getting a computer for home use? Mrs. DORMER. Right now, the possibilities are bleak. We cannot afford it, and there is no organization out there that would help us, if you just make a little over $8,000. We just can't afford the prices of this computer. Mr. OWENS. There's no place where you can get help, you say, because Mrs. DORMER. No, not with what I make. I don't make a whole lot, but if you're a little over $8,000, they think you're above the poverty bracket. You don't get help that way. You have to be really poor to get anything. His chair was bought through my insurance company, which paid 80 percent. I paid the other 20 percent of that, and that's talking about 20 percent of $7,000. Mr. OWENS. You paid 20 percent of $7,000? Mrs. DORMER. Yes. Mr. OWENS. I see. Any questions from panel members? Mr. BARTLETT. I have several questions, Tommy. My first question is, I hope someday you'll consider rooting for the Dallas Cowboys. [Laughter.] They're a good team, also. Master DORMER. Go Redskins. [Laughter.] Mr. BARTLETT. That was Go, Redskins, Go. Mrs. Dormer, I wonder if you could elaborate a bit. How did you find this device; where did you-how did you determine that this was the device that Tommy needs? Were there other devices that you considered and were able to compare this kind of adaptive device versus other things that are available? Mrs. DORMER. The psychologist who tested Tommy for placement in Montgomery County Public Schools- Mr. BARTLETT. On the school staff? Mrs. DORMER. Yes. He found out at the time that he needed some sort of communication. He had difficulty testing him, even though he was capable. So we went out to seek aid in getting him a device, and that's when he went to the Society for Underprivileged Children, and they bought the device. Mr. OWENS. Did the Society sit down, or the psychologist, and walk through a catalog or some kind of engineering with you? Did you consider other devices? Or did someone just tell you that this was the one, and you got it? Mrs. DORMER. He told me what it was doing, and I was very pleased. I left it entirely up to him. When he got the machine, he brought it to me and showed me all the things that it could do. I was very pleased with that. Mr. BARTLETT. This was the Society for Underprivileged Children, or the psychologist? Mrs. DORMER. The psychologist. He went through the Society for Underprivileged Children. Mr. BARTLETT. So, so far as you know, you don't know of any other devices? You didn't yourself consider or examine other devices that would have▬▬ Mrs. DORMER. I only knew about the computer in school at the time. But the computer could not talk. I didn't know about these devices until they put them to me. Mr. BARTLETT. So this is the only communication device that you considered, then, as far as-the psychologist told you that this was what you needed, and this was what you got? Mrs. DORMER. That's what he got. Mr. BARTLETT. That's what he got. Mrs. DORMER. But in the school, they're looking at other devices right now, because there is a lot more out there since this talker. Mr. BARTLETT. Was there a catalog? Did the psychologist have a catalog or some kind of network? Do you know? Mrs. DORMER. With this machine, you only have two types right now. You have the Light Talker-that's what Tommy has-and you have the Touch Talker. He can't use the Touch Talker because he can't use his hands. Mr. BARTLETT. The-you paid, tell us again how you financed it. The Society financed the entire thing, but you paid 20 percent of the wheelchair? Mrs. DORMER. The wheelchair is what his physical therapist and his orthopedic doctor thought he needed, so they submitted that to me, and I submitted it to my insurance company. They agreed yes, he needs it, and they paid 80 percent after my $100 deductible. But the other 20 percent is up to me. Mr. BARTLETT. That therapist was paid for by whom? The insurance company? Or did you go out and hire the therapist? The therapist who recommended the wheelchair. Mrs. DORMER. This was at the Kennedy Center, where he goes for therapy. We go once a month, or sometimes twice a month. That's in Baltimore. Mr. BARTLETT. When you considered this wheelchair, were there other types of wheelchairs that you looked at? Did you see any kind of a range of choices? Mrs. DORMER. Yes. There were other types of wheelchairs, but they're not moved in the same way as Tommy's moves. They are hand devices or maybe mouth devices. He generally uses his head. That's the type that we thought was best for him. We're talking like three years ago, maybe four. Mr. BARTLETT. So you did see some kind of a range of other options with the wheelchairs. Mrs. DORMER. With the wheelchairs, yes. Mr. BARTLETT. Were you able to see that wheelchair before you bought it? Mrs. DORMER. Yes. Mr. BARTLETT. Where did you see it? Mrs. DORMER. We went into the-it was Fairfield Medical that we went into. They had one on display at Kennedy Center, and it wasn't the same sort that Tommy needed, so we went into Fairfield Medical, which was in Baltimore at the time, and they showed me the wheelchair. But Tommy didn't have the controls and all that on it. But they showed us at this age, this is the type you would need for now, and then you would grow up in it. Mr. BARTLETT. Back on the-you don't have a home computer. Then Tommy can't talk at home? Mrs. DORMER. He talks at home, but he just can't write. Like, doing his homework, I help him. I sit with him and write for him. He tells me what number on his Light Talker, and I write it. Sometimes, if he's not fast enough, I'll put the numbers out. If he had a computer, he could sit and do his own papers on that computer. Mr. BARTLETT. If some agency were to make available to you a low-interest loan, that you would pay back over 5 years or something like that, would that make the purchase of a home computer available to you? Mrs. DORMER. That would be very helpful. Mr. BARTLETT. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. JEFFORDS. Mr. Chairman, I just have one comment. Mr. OWENS. My final comment is go, Tommy, go. [Laughter.] We want to thank you both, and we understand that you will have to leave now. But we appreciate your appearing here this morning, very much. Our next witness is Ms. Janice Adams. Ms. Adams? STATEMENT OF MS. JANICE ADAMS Ms. ADAMS. I'm not sure if you can understand me. If you can't understand me, please stop me. All right? Mr. OWENS. Yes, we understand. Ms. ADAMS. On behalf of other deaf persons, and myself, I'd like to talk with you about different assistive devices. I have one here. This is called the Pal Operator. This is a phone device that is used by deaf people to talk on the phone. There is a mouthpiece here, that's where you put the phone down. Then you tell them to turn it on, and the operator will come on and you hear it. This machine can be used for communication. I can read out things from people who know how to type, and I can read what they send to me. This is a good way to communicate for people who don't know sign language because I can use it for the phone, but I have to turn the mode to telephone. It has to be put on telephone mode. There's one problem. This machine is very, very expensive. It costs $5,500, and only one company in this country makes TTY's like that. There isn't enough competition. Most deaf people can't afford it. People would like to see the Government help people buy TTY's like that. It provides contact with the outside world and enables us to do business on the phone, and other things. How many of you never use the phone? No one. We want to use the phone, too. |