To honour International Day of Persons with Disabilities last week, we headed out into the community, inviting people to experience communicating with Augmentative Alternative Communication (AAC).
People were given an opportunity to tell us about their day using our Talk Pad AAC device, exploring what it’s like to communicate when you have difficulty with speech.
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With guidance from our Speech Pathologist and Assistive Technology Consultant Emma Boyle, participants learned just how important accessible communication is for inclusion and independence.
A simple activity, but a powerful reminder that communication is a human right and that everyone deserves to be heard.
Here’s what participant’s shared……
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Sophie initially tried using our Voco Chat vocabulary in our Grid AAC software, but then switched to our Alpha Core vocabulary as she preferred using a keyboard. Reflecting on her experience, she told us, there’s still “a lot of misunderstanding (about disability) which can be hard to navigate,” and that “some conditions aren’t easy to notice, meaning people can be overlooked and shown less patience. That’s why greater awareness and understanding is so important in breaking down miscommunication barriers.”
Sophie also shared that she learned that “AAC doesn’t impede growth or development, it can be used alongside in trying to gain those skills.”
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Emilija tried using our Super Core vocabulary in Grid and shared that, “It’s a good aid for people with disability. You have to know what they’re feeling. We need to include (people with disabilities). The community needs to support them so they don’t get left behind and fall through the cracks.”
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Rouba explored both Super Core and Alpha Core and said that AAC technology “makes communication easier for the person using it and for others to communicate with them.” She also felt that “people should respect that people with disabilities need to be able to be heard and understood.”
Building Inclusion together
We’re grateful to everyone who stopped to try AAC and share their insights.
Communication access goes beyond technology. It’s about connection, dignity and inclusion.
Every conversation helps build a more understanding, patient and inclusive community.
Together, we can create a community where every voice, in every form, is respected, and where people of all abilities can communicate in a way that works best for them.
