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.