Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) systems have transformed the lives of individuals with complex communication needs by providing them with tools to express themselves, connect with others, participate more fully in society, to express thoughts, needs, and emotions. AAC encompasses a wide range of tools and strategies, from low-tech picture boards to high-tech speech-generating devices, designed to support individuals who cannot rely on speech alone. These tools are essential for people with temporary conditions, for example, to communicate during recovery after surgery involving the throat or mouth, or following a head injury; or permanent conditions in cases of congenital disabilities, neurodegenerative diseases, or autism spectrum disorders. Despite the proliferation of AAC apps and devices, most existing solutions are designed for in-person use, as communication occurs through a shared device that serves as the communication medium. No integrated platforms exist for symbol-based chatting, real-time communication, video conferencing, or caregiver-assisted messaging across distances since they do not support AAC interfaces or assistive input devices, making them cumbersome or unusable for many AAC users. Moreover, caregivers and communication partners often play a vital role in facilitating AAC use. However, existing tools rarely allow for remote caregiver support, such as co-viewing messages, assisting with vocabulary selection, or helping interpret user intent during a conversation. This absence of collaborative features further isolates AAC users when they are not physically with their support network.
This means that when they are apart, they can no longer communicate, leading to isolation from the outside community (for example, children or teenagers who attend school and are unable to communicate remotely with their classmates during the summer months). This limitation presents a substantial gap in accessibility and inclusion, and restricts users’ ability to maintain relationships, participate in remote learning, or access telehealth services, areas where communication is critical. These needs have become increasingly evident in our digitally connected world, especially in socially or geographically isolated contexts. This digital divide has highlighted the urgent need for inclusive remote communication solutions tailored to the unique needs of AAC users.
To cope with this, we are designing a dedicated remote communication application for AAC users to address a critical and underserved need in the AAC landscape. The main feature that the application should provide is a Symbol-Based Chat Interface, a user-friendly interface that allows users to construct and send messages using familiar symbols and visual language systems starting from a pre-defined set, using custom sets, or by drawing the message to meet individual user needs and preferences tailored to the user’s evolving cognitive, linguistic, and motor abilities. This application must integrate the caregiver to manage the people they can communicate with and the application settings. The application would integrate an ad hoc artificial intelligence algorithm to support writing through the use of symbols. Last but not least, the application should guarantee cross-platform compatibility in order to function across tablets, smartphones, and desktops to ensure accessibility in various contexts.
This application would not only facilitate communication between AAC users and their peers, families, caregivers, and professionals but also promote greater autonomy, social inclusion, and emotional well-being both in digital and physical spaces. It would support inclusive education by allowing students to engage in virtual classrooms and collaborate with peers, and improve access to healthcare through telehealth communication with clinicians.
In conclusion, as society becomes increasingly reliant on digital communication, the development of a remote AAC communication application represents a significant step toward equity and inclusion for individuals with complex communication needs to close the digital inclusion gap for nonverbal and speech-impaired individuals. Future work will involve user research, prototype development, and pilot testing to refine the app and evaluate its impact on communication outcomes.
