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• Adaptive and Storytelling Practices of Panamanian Autism Families: Towards Culturally-Situated Digital Storytelling

  Elizabeth del Carmen Castillo, Debbie Alvarado Latino, Cecilia Aracelly Fonseca Sánchez, Annuska Zolyomi · 2026 · Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction (GROUP)

  This PACM HCI (GROUP) paper presents a formative, culturally-situated design study with eight Panamanian mothers of autistic individuals (ages 3–27) to understand the resource barriers autism families face in Panamá and the role storytelling plays in their daily lives. The…

  autism · neurodiversity · culture · Global South · storytelling

• Belonging in the Making: Investigating Inclusive Makerspace Design for Youth with Autism

  Krystal Yangmengzi Zhang, Marie Sakowicz, Emily Wingeart, Foad Hamidi · 2026 · Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '26)

  Zhang, Sakowicz, Wingeart, and Hamidi investigate how makerspaces — the hands-on, technology-rich learning environments that have become common in libraries, schools, and community centres — can be designed to genuinely include youth with autism, rather than treating…

  technology-rich learning · accessibility · makerspaces · belonging · disability

• Do-It-Yourself AAC: Co-Designing User-Programmable AI Communication Tools with People with Aphasia

  Jong Ho Lee, Stephanie Valencia · 2026 · Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '26)

  Lee and Valencia explore how people with aphasia (PWA) can become designers of their own AI-powered augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) tools rather than users of rigid, pre-built systems. The authors note that aphasia, a language disorder typically resulting from…

  aphasia · AAC · augmentative and alternative communication · end-user programming · generative AI

• I, Robot? Exploring Ultra-Personalized AI-Powered AAC; an Autoethnographic Account

  Tobias M Weinberg, Ricardo E. Gonzalez Penuela, Stephanie Valencia, Thijs Roumen · 2026 · Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '26)

  This paper is a multi-month autoethnographic study by an AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) user-researcher who fine-tuned a personalized large language model on his own communication data and then used it as the suggestion engine in his everyday speech-generating…

  AAC · autoethnography · large language models · personalization · agency

• A Personalized and Adaptable User Interface for a Speech and Cursor Brain-Computer Interface

  Hamza Peracha, Carrina Iacobacci, Tyler Singer-Clark, Leigh R Hochberg, Sergey D. Stavisky, David M. Brandman, Nicholas S Card · 2026 · Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '26)

  This paper reports on the user interface design for an intracortical brain-computer interface (BCI) deployed for everyday at-home use by people with severe paralysis. The work centers on a 22-month longitudinal co-design study with one BrainGate2 trial participant, T15 - a…

  brain-computer interface · AAC · ALS · amyotrophic lateral sclerosis · paralysis

• CLARIS: Clear and Intelligible Speech from Whispered and Dysarthric Voices

  Neil Shah, Yash Sonkar, Shirish Subhash Karande, Vineet Gandhi · 2026 · Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '26)

  This CHI 2026 paper introduces CLARIS (Clear and Accessible Restoration of Impaired Speech), a compact end-to-end neural speech-to-speech restoration system designed to convert whispered speech and dysarthric speech into clear, natural, intelligible voice output. The authors…

  speech accessibility · dysarthria · voice conversion · whispered speech · silent speech

• Giving Meaning to Movements: Challenges and Opportunities in Expanding Communication by Pairing Unaided AAC with Speech Generated Messages

  Imran Kabir, Sharon Ann Redmon, Lynn R. Elko, Kevin Williams, Mitchell A. Case, Dawn J. Sowers, Krista Wilkinson, Syed Masum Billah · 2026 · Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '26)

  Kabir and colleagues tackle a long-standing split in Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC): aided AAC — speech-generating devices, symbol boards, tablet apps — produces standardised, intelligible output but is slow, visually demanding, and awkward when partners are…

  AAC · augmentative and alternative communication · motor impairment · speech impairment · wearable technology

• Steering Generative Models for Accessibility: EasyRead Image Generation

  Nicolas Dickenmann, Yanis Merzouki, Sonia Laguna, Thy Nowak-Tran, Emanuele Palumbo, Julia E. Vogt, Gerda Binder · 2026 · Extended Abstracts of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI EA '26)

  Dickenmann and colleagues (ETH Zurich and UNICEF Digital Impact Division) present the first open-source pipeline for generating Easy Read-style pictograms using a fine-tuned diffusion model. Easy Read pairs short sentences with simple, high-contrast pictograms to support…

  diffusion models · stable diffusion · LoRA · generative AI · cognitive accessibility

• Before the Technological Fix: Scoping AI and AAC for Social Futures

  Seray B Ibrahim, Tom Griffiths, Michael Clarke, Simon Judge, Petr Slovak, Graham Pullin, Jeff Higginbotham · 2026 · Extended Abstracts of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI EA '26)

  Ibrahim and colleagues - a multi-institution team of researchers working at the intersection of AAC, HCI, and disability studies - argue that the recent surge of HCI work applying AI to Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) is drifting away from where contemporary AAC…

  AAC · augmentative and alternative communication · artificial intelligence · scoping review · social interaction

• Helping or Homogenizing? GenAI as a Design Partner to Pre-Service SLPs for Just-in-Time Programming of AAC

  Cynthia Zastudil, Christine Holyfield, Christine Kapp, Kate Hamilton, Kriti Baru, Liam Newsam, June A. Smith, Stephen MacNeil · 2025 · ASSETS 2025: 27th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility

  This paper investigates the integration of generative AI into augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices, specifically examining how AI-suggested hotspots affect the creation of visual scene displays (VSDs). VSDs are image-based communication tools that embed…

  augmentative and alternative communication · AAC · visual scene displays · generative AI · autism

• One Does Not Simply 'Mm-hmm': Exploring Backchanneling in the AAC Micro-Culture

  Tobias M Weinberg, Claire O'Connor, Ricardo E. Gonzalez Penuela, Stephanie Valencia, Thijs Roumen · 2025 · ASSETS 2025: 27th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility

  This paper explores how users of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) technology engage in backchanneling—the subtle verbal and non-verbal signals (like "uh-huh," nods, and facial expressions) that listeners use to show engagement, signal understanding, and maintain…

  AAC · backchanneling · non-verbal communication · micro-culture · listener feedback

• Exploring the Usability of Gaze-based Mobile Communication in Ghana

  Victoria Austin, Gifty Ayoka, Giulia Barbareschi, Richard Cave, Catherine Holloway · 2025 · ASSETS 2025: 27th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility

  This study evaluates the usability of Look to Speak, a free Android-based eye-gaze AAC application developed by Google Creative Lab, for people with severe communication disabilities in Ghana. The research involved training 10 local speech and language therapists (SLTs) and…

  augmentative communication · AAC · eye gaze · Global South · Ghana

• Accessible Technology for Adults with Down Syndrome: A Scoping Review

  Hailey L. Johnson, Bilge Mutlu · 2025 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing

  This scoping review synthesizes 20 peer-reviewed publications examining digital technologies designed and used by adults with Down syndrome (AwDS), defined as individuals aged 18 and older. The authors followed PRISMA-ScR guidelines, searching six academic databases (ACM Digital…

  Down syndrome · intellectual disability · cognitive accessibility · assistive technology · scoping review

• COMPA: Using Conversation Context to Achieve Common Ground in AAC

  Stephanie Valencia, Jessica Huynh, Emma Y Jiang, Yufei Wu, Teresa Wan, Zixuan Zheng, Henny Admoni, Jeffrey P Bigham, Amy Pavel · 2024 · Proceedings of the 2024 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '24)

  This paper presents COMPA, a browser extension add-on tool designed to help AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) users and their conversation partners achieve common ground during online group conversations. The core problem is speed asymmetry: AAC users may take…

  AAC · augmentative and alternative communication · communication accessibility · group conversation · common ground

• Watch Your Language: Using Smartwatches to Support Communication

  Humphrey Curtis, Timothy Neate · 2023 · ASSETS '23: Proceedings of the 25th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility

  This paper presents the first participatory design and evaluation of AAC smartwatch applications co-designed directly with people who have complex communication needs (CCNs), specifically people living with aphasia — an acquired language impairment most commonly caused by stroke…

  augmentative and alternative communication · AAC · smartwatch · aphasia · wearable technology

• Supporting Social Inclusion with DIY-ATs: Perspectives of Kenyan Caregivers of Children with Cognitive Disabilities

  Foad Hamidi, Patrick Mbullo, Michaela Hynie, Melanie Baljko · 2023 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing

  This paper examines how DIY assistive technologies (DIY-ATs) can support social inclusion for children with cognitive disabilities in Western Kenya, drawing on interviews with 12 female primary caregivers. The research is part of a multi-year participatory design project…

  DIY assistive technology · cognitive disabilities · AAC · social inclusion · low- and middle-income countries

• Nonverbal Communication through Expressive Objects

  Stephanie Valencia, Mark Steidl, Michael L. Rivera, Cynthia L. Bennett, Jeffrey P. Bigham, Henny Admoni · 2023 · Communications of the ACM

  This paper explores how physical motion through an expressive object — a "sidekick" — can support nonverbal communication for augmented communicators (ACs) who use AAC devices. The work centres on Mark, a co-author with cerebral palsy who has used AAC for over 19 years and…

  AAC · augmentative and alternative communication · cerebral palsy · nonverbal communication · co-design

• AAC with Automated Vocabulary from Photographs: Insights from School and Speech-Language Therapy Settings

  Mauricio Fontana de Vargas, Jiamin Dai, Karyn Moffatt · 2022 · Proceedings of the 24th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS '22)

  This paper presents Click AAC, a prototype mobile application that automatically generates situation-specific communication boards from photographs using computer vision and natural language processing. Traditional symbol-based AAC devices organize vocabulary hierarchically by…

  augmentative and alternative communication · AAC · autism · computer vision · just-in-time vocabulary

• Designing a Customizable Picture-Based Augmented Reality Application For Therapists and Educational Professionals Working in Autistic Contexts

  Tooba Ahsen, Christina Yu, Amanda O'Brien, Ralf W. Schlosser, Howard C. Shane, Dylan Oesch-Emmel, Eileen T. Crehan, Fahad Dogar · 2022 · Proceedings of the 24th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS '22)

  This paper presents CustomAR, a mobile augmented reality application designed to allow therapists and educational professionals to create and customize picture-based AR experiences for use in autism-related learning activities. The work addresses a critical gap: while prior…

  augmented reality · autism · visual supports · customization · therapy

• State of the Art in AAC: A Systematic Review and Taxonomy

  Humphrey Curtis, Timothy Neate, Carlota Vazquez Gonzalez · 2022 · Proceedings of the 24th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS '22)

  This paper presents the first systematic review and taxonomy of high-tech augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices and interventions within the ACM literature. The authors analyzed 562 articles from the ACM Digital Library and SCOPUS databases spanning 43 years…

  augmentative and alternative communication · AAC · systematic review · taxonomy · complex communication needs

• Voice Creator: Giving Customized Voice to the Voiceless for Online Communication

  Hyeon Jeong Byeon · 2021 · Proceedings of the 23rd International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS)

  This extended abstract presents Voice Creator, a web-based prototype that allows people with speech or hearing impairments to create customized synthetic voices for online communication. The work is motivated by research showing that voice-based communication increases intimacy…

  speech synthesis · voice customization · speech impairment · hearing impairment · computer-mediated communication

• Co-designing Socially Assistive Sidekicks for Motion-based AAC

  Stephanie Valencia, Michal Luria, Amy Pavel, Jeffrey P. Bigham, Henny Admoni · 2021 · Proceedings of the 2021 ACM/IEEE International Conference on Human-Robot Interaction (HRI '21)

  This paper explores how socially assistive robots, framed as "sidekicks," could provide AAC users with a nonverbal channel of communication to support their conversational goals. While AAC devices enable speech-based communication through synthesized speech, they do not support…

  AAC · nonverbal communication · socially assistive robots · co-design · human-robot interaction

• Contextual Adaptive Communication Aid: Supporting Individuals with Neurological Disease in Communication

  Lula Albar · 2020 · Proceedings of the 17th International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This doctoral consortium paper proposes a context-aware Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) system designed to support people with communication impairments (CI) caused by neurological disease or acquired brain injury, such as aphasia and dysarthria. The research is…

  AAC · communication impairment · aphasia · context-aware computing · co-design

• Computer Vision-based Methodology to Support AAC

  Rúbia Eliza de Oliveira Schultz Ascari, Roberto Pereira, Luciano Silva · 2020 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing

  This paper presents a methodology for supporting augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) through personalized gestural interaction using computer vision and machine learning. The authors developed the PGCA (Personal Gesture Communication Assistant) system, which enables…

  AAC · augmentative and alternative communication · computer vision · machine learning · gesture recognition

• Conversational Agency in Augmentative and Alternative Communication

  Stephanie Valencia, Amy Pavel, Jared Santa Maria, Seunga (Gloria) Yu, Jeffrey P. Bigham, Henny Admoni · 2020 · CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems

  This paper introduces conversational agency as a new framework for studying how augmented communicators (ACs) — people who use AAC devices to speak — participate in and influence conversations. While prior AAC research has focused primarily on improving device throughput and…

  AAC · augmentative and alternative communication · cerebral palsy · conversational agency · communication partners