Cognitive Demand

The amount of mental effort, attention, and processing required to use a technology, interface, or system. High cognitive demand in assistive technology interfaces can prevent adoption by users with cognitive impairments, fatigue, or limited experience with technology. Gaze-based AAC systems like Look to Speak impose significant cognitive demands: users must understand the binary selection logic, remember which direction to look, track the narrowing of options across multiple selection steps, and coordinate intentional eye movements with the system's response timing. Reducing cognitive demand through simpler interaction patterns and clearer feedback is essential for AAC usability.