(3) I don't have it in me to talk the rest of my life, please help : AutismInWomen (reddit.com) I don’t know who or where to turn to, so posting this on Reddit in hopes of a Christmas miracle. TL;DR: Please help me pirate an accessibility tool that allows me to type to speak, that is not upwards of 10 grand. (or a more direct subreddit for nonverbal disability aid to ask about this) “I'm super sorry I don't have any suggestion on text to voice unless you have a cellphone or something (like maybe you're posting from one) bit I did have a tiny suggestion that might help. I've seen people have what are effectively ID card/bracelets that say "hi my name is ____. I'm austic" they usually have emergency contact info. You say on yours that you are mute but that you can type or write to people so you could include that on your card. The idea would be you'd carry some kind of thing to type/write around for longer conversations, but the wrist band for quick intro or explaining to a police officer why you really do need to get that "suspicious object" out of your bag” Typewriter Video Series Episode 36: An Alphasmart Alternative - YouTube Alphasmart discussion forum on Yahoo

I don't have it in me to talk the rest of my life, please help

I don’t know who or where to turn to, so posting this on Reddit in hopes of a Christmas miracle. TL;DR: Please help me pirate an accessibility tool that allows me to type to speak, that is not upwards of 10 grand. (or a more direct subreddit for nonverbal disability aid to ask about this) I’m a 30 year old adult autistic. I am self-diagnosed, however learning disability was a huge part of my life in grade school. I spent well over a decade hiding that part of myself, and when I couldn’t do that anymore, my life basically fell apart. I was homeless out of a vehicle for several years. I changed my name and gender legally. I’ve had to fight to be able to fill out applications, have good documentation, get quality medical care, get back into housing, keep a vehicle, keep financial assistance from family, have respectful relationships, pretty much everything, I have had to fight for access. When I was homeless, I had several concussion incidents, that all together, I am pretty sure I have a traumatic brain injury, paired with learning quiet as a survival technique, and not liking talking, I will go into Mute episodes sometimes for days or weeks at a time. When I’m not in it, I am fine. I’m not physically blocked from talking. But when stress happens, and I need to communicate my needs the most. My throat locks up. It is physically and mentally anguish inducing to make words happen. I am pretty good at keeping company in my life of people who are understanding of my quiet spells. I can write, type, charade, point, whatever. But lots of places and situations are not reachable for people who don’t speak. It can be absolutely dangerous. Imagine getting pulled over and giving the cop the silent treatment. That can be a death sentence. Employment has been out of the question, and as a result I live in relative destitution. I can cover my basic immediate needs, but this isn’t a way to live. When I was a kid, I was given one of these Alphasmart devices, to better keep track of assignments, homework, and deadlines. I hated it cause it attracted bullies and i was 12. WHen I was 23, I ordered a used one off AMazon. They are discontinued. It changed my life. I’ve used it as a journal and note taking device, and while I still have hundreds of pages of digital documents that need quality attention, editing, and consolidation, it was a big game changer. Recently (six years later) the keys A, S, D, F stopped working. So it’s basically non-usable. They are discontinued and you can buy them used online, often at questionable quality, but I’m really hoping to do one better. I would really love to get one of these devices, that has text to voice capability, possibly with custom voices. I can’t stress or explain the human impact of not being able to talk as much as other people or going mute. THere are people I love I am hundreds of miles from that I haven’t been able to talk to in years. I’ve ghosted off every person in my life, friend, family, loved one, and significants. It’s so painfully stressful to keep up with oral communication. In mute episodes, where I need the most from other people, I am unable to reach out and ask for it. It’s like being a ghost in my own life. I’ve wanted to not be alive during these episodes many times. Since I am undiagnosed, it’s even more difficult to get something like this covered under insurance. One model, and there aren’t many out there, is the Allora Text, which runs 8,300$ out of pocket. That’s more money than I handle in a year. Dealing with insurance and specialists is a long dreadful process too, and they find every opportunity to deny help. Nothing about the technology is that prohibitive to DIY. But I have no idea where to start. I grew up in the age of Limewire, and believe in the power of piracy. I don’t want to spend years waiting more to become more than a passenger in my own life. I’m asking for any anonymous open source help making something like this an option for people like me. I’m into any ideas/feedback. Permission to act. I know of various softwares that do this piecewise, and have done personal research into this, so if you want to collaborate, please contact me. Thanks for reading this.