Augmentative And Alternative Communication Systems - Pros and Cons

1. Describe the different communicative needs of person with disabilities

Different communication needs of person with disabilities include deaf/blind, intellectual, learning and cognitive, mental health, physical speech, and visual.  Although these are disabilities, there are programs implemented to assist with individuals who have a specific disability.  

1. Discuss the basic approaches to meeting these differing needs

Although being disable can be a disadvantage, the upside approach to meeting different disability needs include having ways to provide better services to the disable to include having a Americans with Disabilities Act(ADA), which prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in employment, State and local government, public accommodations, commercial facilities, transportation, and telecommunications. 

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1. Describe current approaches to speech output in assistive technologies

There are two applications from the STARDUST system that have been created.  One is an environmental control system (ECS) and second is a voice output communication aid.  The computer is provided with two inputs to include a high quality microphone and a switch, adapted to the individual needs of the use.  If the accuracy of the speech recognition is insignificant user get frustrated and some ECS equipment is safety critical and a reliable back-up must be provided as an alternative to speech recognition.