Otto Knoke, Power BI expert from Guatemala, types with his eyes

Microsoft Accessibility BlogSep 10, 2018

Otto Knoke (pronounced kuh-NO-kuh) helped modernize the business community in Guatemala. In 1998, he was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and has spent his time researching ways he could adapt to life with ALS and continue to work. This lead him to Microsoft’s new eye-tracking software for Windows 10, Eye Control.

“Technology has permitted me to work and communicate with my loved ones, with the people who help me and with my friends,” Knoke said in an interview conducted over email, his responses typed using his eyes. “And now that I’ve learned to use Eye Control and a foot mouse at the same time, my productivity at work has skyrocketed and my relationships have improved.”

“I was really inspired,” said Cesar Cernuda, the president of Microsoft Latin America, who visited Knoke at his home earlier this year. “And it’s not that we’re helping him, but that he’s helping all of his customers, as an expert on Power BI.”

To learn more about Otto Knoke’s journey, visit Microsoft News Center.

Otto Knoke using Eye Control for Windows 10 and the text-to-speech function on the screen in front. His daughter is with him. — Using a foot-operated mouse, Eye Control for Windows 10 and the text-to-speech function, Otto Knoke is able to communicate with his family — including his daughter, seen here — as well as with clients.