Free open-source AAC app receives AI for Accessibility grant from Microsoft

Cboard, an augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) web app, recently received funding from Microsoft’s AI for Accessibility grant to expand some of its features that will improve the user experience (UX) for paralysed users.

Cboard was created as an accessible, open-source, and low-cost AAC solution that can be easily customised to suit users with a diverse set of conditions and communication needs.

The application allows users with speech and language impairments to communicate with symbols and text-to-speech. It works in over 40 languages and can be used on tablets, desktop PCs, and smartphones.

As Cboard is a web-based app, it can be downloaded for free globally, including in the UK. It is available on Android smartphones, on Microsoft Windows desktops, and Amazon Fire tablets. Find out how to download Cboard here.

The app uses the browser’s Speech Synthesis API to generate speech when a symbol is clicked. Cboard has a vast symbol library with Mulberry, Global Symbols, and ARASAAC pictograms. Users can also upload their own images.

Cboard can be fully personalised through adding, deleting, or editing the contents of the account to best suit the needs of each user. This makes it a great tool for people of all ages and with different abilities.

Boards on the app can also be downloaded for offline use and printed to use as low-technology communication boards. The app promotes interaction, helping support people with speech impairments and supporting language development.

In April 2023, Microsoft awarded Cboard an AI for Accessibility grant.

Using the grant money, some of the new feature plans include smart autocomplete that will improve UX for paralysed users and support for more regions with limited access to assistive technology, specifically Indonesia and East Timor, in the coming months.

Cboard previously received a grant from the UNICEF Innovation Fund and has continued to be used in UNICEF projects, most recently in Bulgaria through a Cboard pilot.

Find out more about this UNICEF pilot in the video below:

 Earlier this year, Smartbox Assistive Technology and SpeakUnique launched 30 additional regional accents for people who are born with a disability or have not had the chance to bank their own voice. The masculine and feminine accents are for adults who use Grid AAC software from Smartbox Assistive Technology to speak.