You might have heard of OptiKey (www.optikey.org). It's a free, assistive on-screen keyboard which runs on Windows. It is designed to be used with a low cost eye-tracking device to bring keyboard control, mouse control and speech to people with motor and speech limitations, such as people living with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) / Motor Neuron Disease (MND). I released it recently to an amazing response from Reddit. It has since been featured in publications and podcasts all over the world.

For four years I’ve worked on OptiKey on my commute to work in the morning and at the end of the day when my wife and baby boy are asleep. I am immensely proud of what OptiKey has achieved since its release; offering people with speech and motor limitations the chance to communicate and achieve full computer control, without having to spend huge sums of money for sub-par commercial systems. The positive feedback I have received and the feeling of achievement, of knowing that something I’ve written is changing people’s lives, is indescribable. It’s made me realise something… I need to take this beyond a snatched hour here and there. I need to do this full time.

I want to be able to build all of the features on my to-do list, translate OptiKey into all of the languages people have requested, and have the time to test and improve OptiKey with real users in conjunction with world leading hospitals.

I am asking for your help... Together we can do something real - we can change people’s lives.