REHABILITATION ENGINEERING RESEARCH CENTER ON AUGMENTATIVE AND ALTERNATIVE COMMUNICATION (THE RERC ON AAC)

This project conducts rigorous evidence-based research for designing effective augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) technologies and interventions, develops and evaluates innovative AAC engineering solutions driven by consumer needs, and provides comprehensive training and dissemination to ensure that all individuals, including those with severe disabilities, have access to effective AAC to enhance the communication of individuals with complex communication needs (CCN). The Center’s research and development activities (R & D) are organized around three themes: (1) improving access to technologies for individuals with CCN who have severe motor impairments by investigating and developing new access techniques (e.g., brain control interfaces and multimodal access); (2) developing language support technologies to enhance communication for those with significant language/cognitive limitations (e.g., technologies that facilitate the transition to literacy, provide contextually relevant smart prediction, and support video visual scene displays to enhance participation in school, work and community routines); and (3) improving the AAC human-computer interface to reduce cognitive processing demands and enhance communication. Additionally, the Center brings together a team of rehabilitation engineers and scientists to deliver targeted training and dissemination to build greater capacity and maximize the effective translation of R & D for real-world use.