Abstract
Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) has been transformed by the social media revolution made possible by the emergence of mobile technology. The cumbersome dedicated devices of the 1970s have evolved into a burgeoning AAC app industry. However, the limited use and abandonment of AAC technologies remains high. Unlocking the untapped potential of technology requires a paradigm shift in the design of AAC technologies by building systems that minimize the cognitive load placed on users, adapting to their individual physical and language needs. Telling Tales shares insights and stories of how the combination of user‐centred design, interdisciplinary research and the application of intelligent computing is providing a vision of future generations of AAC technologies.
Highlights
It is an honour to have been invited to deliver the 2017/18 Winter Lecture for the IJLCD to an audience comprised mostly of speech and language therapists (SLTs)
Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) has been transformed by the social media revolution made possible by the emergence of mobile technology
The recent launch of the Global Public Inclusive Infrastructure (GPII)1—a web-based resource supporting software engineers to develop accessible technology—demonstrates the degree to which technology developers have embraced the ideal of inclusive design to ensure that disabled people can benefit from technology
Summary
It is an honour to have been invited to deliver the 2017/18 Winter Lecture for the IJLCD to an audience comprised mostly of speech and language therapists (SLTs). Mechanical systems which gave access to typing for people with no hand function, such as the prototype POSM sip-and-puff electric typewriter in 1960, were superseded by transistor-based systems in the following decade. Portable communication aids such as the LightWriter and the Talking Brooch were developed in the early 1970s with text-to-speech systems appearing in the late 1970s. Developing skills to master such technology requires a range of physical and cognitive competencies While there is no doubt that AAC technology improves the quality of life for individuals with severe disabilities, the reality is that individuals with CCN seldom go beyond needs based (transactional) communication into extended (interactional) conversation (Waller 2006)
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