Communication is more than speech. Many disabled people use:
- AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication)
- Text-based communication
- Interpreters (spoken and sign languages)
- Captions and transcription
- Communication partners and support people
This page focuses on technology’s role in communication access.
AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) includes:
- Low-tech tools – communication boards, notebooks, symbol cards, letter boards
- High-tech tools – apps on tablets or phones, dedicated AAC devices, eye-gaze systems
- Strategies – partner-assisted scanning, yes/no systems, scripts, and customized vocabulary
AAC is used by people who:
- Cannot speak,
- Can speak only sometimes,
- Find speech unreliable or exhausting, or
- Prefer not to rely on speech for safety or access reasons.
Examples:
- AAC apps with symbol-based or text-based interfaces
- Text-to-speech apps and built-in device features
- Voice amplifiers and microphones
- Real-time captioning and speech-to-text tools
- Messaging platforms that support accessible communication (e.g., text, captions, image descriptions)
Contributors can add:
- Lists of AAC apps and tools (with notes, not endorsements)
- Tips for configuring vocabulary, layouts, and access methods
- Experience-based comparisons between app types
Technology can support access through:
- Captions and subtitles (live and pre-recorded)
- Remote interpreting (spoken and signed languages)
- Chat-based participation in meetings and events
- Asynchronous communication options instead of demanding real-time speech
Barriers include:
- Events with no captions or interpreters
- Platforms that limit chat, caption size, or transcript downloads
- Poorly implemented auto-captioning (especially for non-dominant accents and languages)
- Pressure to use speech even when it’s painful, impossible, or unsafe
¶ Accessibility in Meetings, Classes, and Events
Areas to cover:
- Using video conferencing platforms with accessible features (captioning, chat, keyboard shortcuts)
- Sharing agendas and materials in advance
- Normalizing multiple modes of participation (voice, chat, AAC, silence)
- Recording and providing accessible transcripts where safe and appropriate
This section can also link to:
- Pages on education and employment accommodations
- Digital disability justice discussions about who is allowed to be “heard” and how
A core principle:
People have the right to communicate in the ways that are safest, least harmful, and most effective for them.
Good tech practices include:
- Not forcing speech when someone prefers or needs AAC
- Allowing extra time for typing or composing messages
- Avoiding platforms that lock out AAC users or caption users
- Working with, not against, interpreters and support people
This page should grow with contributions from AAC users, interpreters, Deaf and hard-of-hearing people, nonspeaking people, and others whose communication is routinely ignored.
Have lived experience or expertise that could strengthen this page? We especially welcome perspectives on models not well represented here, including those from the Global South and Indigenous communities.
Suggest an edit or addition →
This page centers disabled people's expertise and is informed by disabled-led organizing globally. For questions or to suggest additions, see How to Contribute.
Last updated: January 2026