Weaving Voices – Bridging Disciplines for Early Technology Design in Novel E-Textile Augmentative and Alternative Communication (eTAAC) Technologies
Vihriälä, Tanja (2025)
Vihriälä, Tanja
Tampere University
2025
Ihmiset ja teknologia -tohtoriohjelma - Doctoral Programme of Humans and Technologies
Informaatioteknologian ja viestinnän tiedekunta - Faculty of Information Technology and Communication Sciences
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Väitöspäivä
2025-02-28
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-952-03-3790-2
https://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-952-03-3790-2
Tiivistelmä
Speech and communication problems are widespread and prevent many from enjoying many vital aspects of life. The available augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) technologies often fall short of addressing the diverse needs of users, highlighting an urgent need for innovative solutions that ensure everyone’s right to communicate and access AAC. This dissertation addresses a critical gap in the early design phase of AAC technology, with a focus on fostering collaboration with nontechnical AAC experts and technology developers to build a shared understanding early on. Through this approach, it becomes possible to communicate the diverse needs of those with complex communication needs and the wide range of activities and environments where supports are needed, in ways that are understandable and actionable across disciplines.
Additionally, this work aims to advance the design of e-Textile AAC (eTAAC), an emerging technology with limited exploration in AAC. To address this gap, this dissertation proposes initial design guidelines for eTAAC concerning its intended beneficiaries, purposes of use, and technological requirements, and examines its potential impacts on users’ functional abilities. Research was conducted through an online survey and focus group discussions to gather user stories, followed by scenario development and prototyping.
This dissertation, grounded in the work of the Augmentative Technologies Research Group (ATRG), presents an early-stage, interdisciplinary design approach for AAC, emphasizing the importance of "weaving voices". It also offers insights into user needs and expectations, as perceived by speech-language pathologists (SLPs), and provides essential design requirements for eTAAC development. Through this effort, a foundation is laid for exploring the use of novel technologies by involving expert secondary users in creating more inclusive, responsive, and user-centered AAC technologies that better support individuals with complex communication needs.
Additionally, this work aims to advance the design of e-Textile AAC (eTAAC), an emerging technology with limited exploration in AAC. To address this gap, this dissertation proposes initial design guidelines for eTAAC concerning its intended beneficiaries, purposes of use, and technological requirements, and examines its potential impacts on users’ functional abilities. Research was conducted through an online survey and focus group discussions to gather user stories, followed by scenario development and prototyping.
This dissertation, grounded in the work of the Augmentative Technologies Research Group (ATRG), presents an early-stage, interdisciplinary design approach for AAC, emphasizing the importance of "weaving voices". It also offers insights into user needs and expectations, as perceived by speech-language pathologists (SLPs), and provides essential design requirements for eTAAC development. Through this effort, a foundation is laid for exploring the use of novel technologies by involving expert secondary users in creating more inclusive, responsive, and user-centered AAC technologies that better support individuals with complex communication needs.
Kokoelmat
- Väitöskirjat [4943]