Helping People Communicate with Rugged Technology—One Write & Otterbox

Press Release: Imagine not being able to express yourself through the very basics of human communication, speech. For individuals with autism, aphasia and apraxia this is a struggle they face daily.

Three years ago, One Write, a church services company in Lancaster, Ohio, began brainstorming products outside forms and offering envelopes. With the desire to help people in a direct way, they developed the Cyrano Communicator™ a system that allows individuals to communicate portably.

Ray Schmidt, Vice President of One Write, manages advertising, marketing and product development. Because young children and people with physical or behavioral disabilities use the Cyrano, he began exploring protective cases to safeguard the units. http://www.onewriteco.com/

“We were fortunate to find the OtterBox 1900 shortly after we announced Cyrano in November of 2004,” explained Schmidt. “We looked at leather cases, rugged cases, custom solutions and others, but OtterBox simply provided the best combination of protection, good looks and usability.” http://www.otterbox.com/

The Cyrano Communicator™ offers two interfaces. The first is a picture interface, ideal for those just starting augmented communication or who need to communicate visually, like those with autism or aphasia. The second, Cyrano Shorthand™, is a text to speech application for those who can type, but lack a speaking ability.

Using Cyrano in an Otterbox

“One of my own children, Jon, has severe autism. As you can imagine, we tailored much of the original Cyrano to his needs and he continues to be my best tester,” said Schmidt. “Once, Jon inadvertently dropped his Cyrano in an aquarium. Although we were able to get the machine working again after a total disassembly and countless blow dryer hours, the need for extra protection was obvious. The OtterBox 1900 is perfect because it provides protection and seals the Cyrano from dirt and water.”

With such a broad range of functions, Cyrano is an expensive machine. For many families, the OtterBox provides an economical measure of protection and adds longevity. The interactive screen membrane on the 1900 makes the Cyrano easy to use even through the case, plus it protects screens from environmental effects like catsup, pizza and soft drinks.

“Using the OtterBox enables people to be independent and use their Cyranos in environments which would normally be harmful to the machine. Otterbox provides customers with a sense of security, at a very reasonable cost,” explained Schmidt. “The people, the product and the pricing all work together to make Otterbox a great partner.”