SpeakEasy Phone Project
After witnessing my grandmother struggle to use a cell phone due to dementia and hearing loss, I decided to make a phone that would be easy for the elderly to use and loud enough for them to hear. After much experimentation, I came up with a design that worked. The prototype device, which I named the SpeakEasy Phone, uses a smartphone equipped with loudspeakers and one physical button that dials a fixed phone number. I decided to contribute the design to the public domain so that others can benefit from the project and potentially improve it.
This project inspired me to create a website, theyforget.com, where people can share ideas and collaborate to help loved ones with dementia. My first blog post is about the SpeakEasy phone.