An overview of using open source, free and creative commons licensed symbol sets for augmentative and alternative communication (AAC)

1. David
Banes and
E.A. Draffan
The future for Open
Source and Free in
AAC

2. 2
What do we mean by Open
• Open Licencing takes a variety of forms
• Creative Commons
• OER-Commons
• Open Source
• Understanding the basis of open licences is
important to use them effectively

3. 3
Creative Commons

4. 4
Create
Improve
Adapt
Re-use
Share
Increase
Access
Flexible
Localise
Personalise
Open
Licence
Open Educational Resource

5. 5
Change in Behaviour and Expectations
• The future of open source AAC is
dictated by a number of factors
– Customer expectations
– Customer behaviour
– Funding pressure
– Global Marketplace
– Changing relationship between
customer and developer

6. 6
What is happening to the AAC industry
• Technology Shift
– Mobile, portable, pervasive
– Internet of Things,
– Business model shift
– From upfront payments to
service and subscription
– Freemium models
• Customer shift
– Changing demographics and
users

7. 7
Success stories in Open Licence
• Android
– Basis of wide range of devices
– Phones, tablets …
• Moodle
– Basis of elearning platforms and MOOCs
• Open Board Format for AAC Symbol Charts
– The start of making communication charts for
everyone and any device that uses a simple grid
layout

8. 8
Why Open Approaches are good.
1. Resilience
– iPad launch in 2010, hardware AAC companies
suffered. Open projects by nature are protected
(Mulberry had closed down before it was used in
CommuniKate)
2. Free to end user
– While the developed world might be able to afford all
the AAC technology it needs, there are millions of
people that commercial solutions will never reach.
3. Prevent Lockout
– Open approaches are invested in community helping,
so they make it much easier to convert.
4. Research
– Open approaches are modifiable and easy to access

9. 9
Where Open approaches have problems
1. Hardware
– Open software is easy, open hardware much harder –
there will be a delay in catching up.
2. Cultural
– The people who make open source software aren’t always
the people who work with AAC users. Cues can be missed.
3. Legal
– The legal status of open software for ‘medical’ reasons is
undefined – different in every country and the approval
systems make it harder to allow for open ‘fast iteration’
approaches.
4. Dilemma for specialist providers of AAC software
and hardware
– Those supporting the most complex AAC cases are an
important part of the ecosystem and must not be lost

10. 10
Example
CBoard
https://www.cboard.io/

11. 11
Disruption and Open Licence
Global Innovation
• Key drivers of disruptive innovation stimulating
open source – AI and Data driven applications
• Changing global demographics
– Aging
– Increased disabled populations
– Changing attitudes and policy
• Growth of university innovation
• No legacy of prior technologies and solutions
• Addressing new ideas to meet local and global
needs

12. From the Global Symbols
Team
https://globalsymbols.com
Thank you