The Experiences BIPOC Who Use AAC: Pilot Data
Mentor 1
Shelley Lund
Start Date
10-5-2022 10:00 AM
Description
Three million people in North America have complex communication disorders that severely limit their speaking ability. These individuals often utilize Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) devices. AAC devices can be as simple as a board of pictures or as complex as a computer with a speech synthesizer. The United States Society of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (USSAAC) is an organization that supports and advocates for individuals who use AAC. This study aims to describe the experiences of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) who use AAC. Our goal is to identify ways that the AAC field can better support this demographic. We will use the data collected from this study to examine how USSAAC, professionals, and AAC industries are representing and/or underrepresenting BIPOC AAC users. We recruited two individuals who self-identify as BIPOC and used AAC to participate in this phase of the study. Each participant was interviewed individually via Zoom by two research team members who use AAC. During these interviews, they were asked questions about their experiences as a BIPOC AAC user. The interviews were transcribed, including timestamps, method of communication, and message communicated. These transcripts will be analyzed qualitatively to determine themes in the participants’ responses. We will use the results of this study to gain insight into how the field of AAC can better represent BIPOC who use AAC. By doing this, organizations, industries, USSAAC, and professionals can take steps to become better allies for this community.
The Experiences BIPOC Who Use AAC: Pilot Data
Three million people in North America have complex communication disorders that severely limit their speaking ability. These individuals often utilize Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) devices. AAC devices can be as simple as a board of pictures or as complex as a computer with a speech synthesizer. The United States Society of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (USSAAC) is an organization that supports and advocates for individuals who use AAC. This study aims to describe the experiences of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) who use AAC. Our goal is to identify ways that the AAC field can better support this demographic. We will use the data collected from this study to examine how USSAAC, professionals, and AAC industries are representing and/or underrepresenting BIPOC AAC users. We recruited two individuals who self-identify as BIPOC and used AAC to participate in this phase of the study. Each participant was interviewed individually via Zoom by two research team members who use AAC. During these interviews, they were asked questions about their experiences as a BIPOC AAC user. The interviews were transcribed, including timestamps, method of communication, and message communicated. These transcripts will be analyzed qualitatively to determine themes in the participants’ responses. We will use the results of this study to gain insight into how the field of AAC can better represent BIPOC who use AAC. By doing this, organizations, industries, USSAAC, and professionals can take steps to become better allies for this community.
