AsTeRICS Grid: Why Freely Accessible Software is Needed for Democratizing AAC in the Long Term

Around 97 million people in the world could benefit from Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC), but according to the WHO and other organizations, access to digital AAC resources is very limited, especially in low-income countries. Free AAC software could help to improve this situation, but many existing “free” applications are either behind a paywall or not published under a free licence. We therefore propose a novel definition of “freely accessible software” for AAC, which can truly be used by anyone. AsTeRICS Grid (AG) is a feature-rich, grid-based AAC web application which has been developed based on the feedback of AAC users from around the world. The single-page architecture and offline capability of AG reduce the required server resources and human workload for maintenance, so that the service can remain freely accessible in the long term. We conducted an online survey which was completed by 277 participants, to examine the current usage context of AG. Most answers came from professionals (78%) who had previously used other AAC apps. Open questions were asked about advantages and disadvantages of AG, with free accessibility being rated most positively and the lack of certain features being rated most negatively. Examples from the past show that “free” AAC applications (that are not “freely accessible software”) have either disappeared or become chargeable. AsTeRICS Grid shows how the conditions for free AAC can be created and how these concepts can be implemented sustainably.