After an accident, Ethan Kadish was paralyzed. His friend, 14-year-old Jacob Smilg, came up with a simple device to help him communicate.

Several years ago, Kadish was struck by lightning, and lost control over his body. Communication with the world took the form of eye blinks for “yes” and “no,” which gave Smilg an idea for a revolutionary, Arduino Uno-based gadget that could help him communicate with people not familiar with this method.

It uses two pads, which Kadish can press with his head. When pressed, the device displays “yes” or “no” on a small LED screen. This allows him to have conversations in a more natural way, which, as seen in the video below around 4:00 it appears to make him very happy!

You can read more about the project on Make:, and keep up with Kadish’s story and progress on the Team Ethan blog. More pictures and videos can be found on Smilg’s Facebook page.