PORTABLE INFRARED UNIVERSITY REMOTE CONTROL WITH VISUAL, AUDIBLE AND INPUT DEVICE FEATURES TO ACCOMMODATE PERSONS WITH MOST SEVERE DISABILITIES

VME'S UNIVERSAL REMOTE CONTROLLER (URC) IS DESIGNED TO BE A KEY ELEMENT IN ALLOWING PERSONS WITH SEVERE DISABILITIES TO HAVE CONTROL OF THEIR ENVIRONMENTS. UNLIKE EXISTING ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROLS, THE URC WILL DIRECTLY CONTROL ANY UNMODIFIED INFRARED CONTROLLED DEVICE IN THE HOME, WORKPLACEOR SCHOOLS, FREEING USERS FROM BEING CHAINED TO A COMPUTER OR "ECU BASE UNIT". THE HAND HELD URC WILL BE SMALL ENOUGH THAT A PERSON COULD CONTROL HOME APPLIANCES (E.G, TV, LIGHTING) AND THEN TAKE THE ECU TO WORK AND CONTROL WORK APPLIANCES (HELP ALARM, COMPUTERS, ETC). THE URC CAN BE CONTROLLED WITH ITS OVERSIZED KEYS OR BY ACTIVATING THE SCANNED MENU OPTIONS AND ACTIVATING WITH A SIP & PUFF, BLINKSWITCH OR ANY OTHER KIND OF SWITCH. CHILDREN, READING DISABLED OR SIGHT IMPAIRED CLIENTS WILL APPRECIATE THE VOICEOUTPUT PROMPTING THE USER ON ALL FUNCTIONS (IN A FASHION SIMILAR TO VOICE MAIL). KEYS WITH RAISED TACTILE ICONS WILLFURTHER AID VISUALLY IMPAIRED USERS. THE URC IS ESPECIALLY FLEXIBLE IN THAT IT "LEARNS" REMOTE CONTROL CODES FROM EXISTING UNMODIFIED APPLIANCES AND ALLOWS THE USER OR CARE GIVER TO EASILY RENAME ANY FUNCTION OR MENU.