Information and Advice

The aim of the CALL Information/Enquiry service is to provide information and advice on technological aids for communication and learning to professionals, carers and disabled people themselves.

CALL will answer both general enquiries and requests for help and information relating to specific communication disabled individuals. CALL also offers direct access to parents and professionals by telephone, letter, email and personal contact. Information available includes books, videos, information sheets, software, educational applications, and resources contained in this website.

Ever needed to know, for example:

• What different voice output aids are available and what each does best?
• Where to buy a specific piece of software?
• Where to get a reading list on a specific AAC/microtechnology/Special Educational Needs topic?
• Where to borrow a switch from?
• Further information on scan and switch word-processors?
• Who is the most appropriate person locally to yourself to contact on AAC matters?
• How to connect a voice output device to a printer or a computer?
• Which version of the Spellmaster range is most appropriate to your needs?

Communication aids, computers, various special interfaces and switches etc. are held in the Centre, but we do not encourage people to come in just to have a general 'look around' at these items. These items tend to be so complex that just 'looking' at them is usually not helpful. CALL staff are not always available to explain and demonstrate equipment. Also this is ‘working equipment’ and is generally in transit between assessments, loans etc. rather than being laid out in a display as such.

Please contact us you are pretty sure that you know what particular item or items you want to learn about, and perhaps borrow from the CALL Loan Bank.

If a group or team wish for further information about specific equipment (say, the range of different voice output aids) you may wish to ask about setting up an in-service session. For information about forthcoming courses and events, please see the Learning section.