This is a plain-language summary of a journal article. The article is one of 21 articles in a special issue of the AAC journal (Volume 41, Issue 3, 2025). All the articles are written or co-written by AAC users. The articles are free to read. Plain-language summaries of research are important for accessibility. Providing summaries in plain language helps make complex information easier to read. This helps to better understand and put the research into practice.
Summary of: AAC and technology: what’s communication equity got to do with it? by Williams (2025)
This article says many people use Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC). AAC helps them communicate better. Yet, many still do not have access to it. True communication equity requires society to do more than build better devices. Bob Williams shares his journey as an AAC user. He calls on researchers, professionals, and policymakers to make a real change.
Background: Who Is Bob Williams?
Bob Williams works at CommunicationFIRST. He is the Policy Director. This group helps people with speech disabilities. They also fight for their rights. Bob has over 40 years of experience in disability rights. He combines his professional skills with personal AAC use. This gives his writing both policy expertise and lived experience.
In 1992, Williams went to a national conference. It focused on AAC. The U.S. government organized the event. That conference helped shape the entire field. More than 30 years later, he sees that many serious issues still impact those who need AAC.
The Problem: Too Many People Are Still Denied Access to AAC.
Williams points out some troubling realities. Most people who need AAC:
- are still not given effective, language-based AAC
- are wrongly believed to be unable to read or learn at any point in their lives.
- are subjected to extreme isolation and, in some cases, violence
These are not individual problems. They are the result of deep social biases and discrimination. These systems, policies, and the way professionals talk about AAC build in these biases.
What Is Communication Equity?
Communication equity means that everyone has a right to fair, universal, and lifelong access to all means of communication. Williams says this is not a nice idea — it is a social and legal obligation.
He uses a powerful image to explain why this matters: “True community is not a dot on a map. It is a way of belonging.” To truly belong, people need to be able to communicate. The right to community and the right to communication go hand in hand.
Williams also highlights what holds people back. He acknowledges that disabilities do affect how people live. He argues that social and professional biases hurt more than the disabilities. When society ignores AAC users, it stops them from fully participating.
Why Technology Alone Is Not Enough.
Technology has made great progress in AAC. But Williams warns that technology by itself does not create equity. AAC users can still face digital exclusion. They may miss out on technology’s full benefits due to access barriers, high costs, or limited support.
He also raises an important question: Does our discussion of AAC imply that there is only one right way to communicate? If so, that thinking needs to change. Communication comes in many forms. No one should be pushed toward a single way of expressing themselves.
What Needs to Change?
Williams calls for a different approach — one that puts the voices and lived experiences of AAC users at the center. He highlights several key directions for change:
- Researchers must ground their work in lived experience. People who use AAC know what works and what doesn’t. Their knowledge must guide the research.
- AAC users must take part as equal partners in research, rather than be passive subjects in the study.
- Intersectionality matters. AAC users face challenges connected to race, class, and other social factors. Research must take this into account.
- Participatory Action Research helps make progress. It is a key tool. In this approach, people with disabilities help design and lead the research.
In the end, Williams says that communication equity cannot be limited to privileged people. We must build it for everyone.
Citation:
Williams, B. (2025). AAC and technology: what’s communication equity got to do with it? Augmentative and Alternative Communication, 41(3), 207–210.
Access the full article: https://doi.org/10.1080/07434618.2025.2504495
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