The Great Talking Box Company, a San Jose maker of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices, granted a young man’s wish when it presented an EasyTalk™ digital speech device to Brandon Hills.

From left: Brandon Hills, Evelyn Glasper, and Ed Kandefer

Like most of his peers, 24-year-old Brandon has a lot to say. But unlike his pals, when Brandon tries to talk, his words come out as unintelligible grunts and moans. Born with cerebral palsy, Brandon also suffers from developmental delays, and his inability to communicate verbally is a constant frustration for him.

The EasyTalk augmentative speech device has given Brandon a new voice. Its large keypad and customized picture icons enable Brandon to “chat” with people like never before. A simple touch of a button elicits a simulated voice to speak for him.

Ed Kandefer, founder and CTO of the Great Talking Box Company, was inspired to make the donation personally after he read an article about Brandon in the San Jose Mercury News. The story, published as part of the newspaper’s “wishbook” series, detailed Brandon’s family’s desire to raise enough money to buy a speech-generating communication device, which cost several thousand dollars.

Kandefer contacted the Mercury News’ wishbook coordinator, who arranged a meeting with Brandon’s mother, Evelyn Glasper, Brandon, and his caregiver. Once Brandon’s speech needs were better understood, Kandefer selected the EasyTalk product as the best AAC device for the young man, and presented it to him.

Brandon was so excited about receiving this AAC device that he literally hugged it and had tears of joy. For the Hills family, this gift from Ed and the Great Talking Box Company was truly a wish come true.

About The Great Talking Box Company
Founded in 1996, the Great Talking Box Company (GTB) is located in San Jose, California, where products are manufactured by Sym Systems, the parent company. The company was founded by Ed Kandefer, a pioneer in the development of augmentative and alternative communication devices. Mr. Kandefer has over 29 years of experience in speech synthesis and speech recognition systems. He created the first digital speech device for augmentative communication in 1981, which helped establish the AAC industry. GTB’s line of AAC devices includes the eTalk-GT, DigiCom 2000 and EasyTalk.