Accessible AAC System with Multimodal Interaction Support: VivaVox platform
Resumo
Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) is essential to supplement or compensate for impairments caused by conditions such as severe forms of Cerebral Palsy and non-verbal autistic individuals.However, although these individuals have Complex Communication Needs (CCN), there is no single AAC user profile, making it crucial to design highly accessible and customizable interfaces. This paper presents VivaVox, a AAC system developed using an incremental approach informed by a rapid systematic mapping of the literature, analysis of existing AAC platforms, and validation with occupational therapists. This process enabled the identification of key requirements – such as accessibility, personalization, portability, and ease of use. The application main features include scanning-based interaction via keyboard input or eye-blink detection, customizable communication boards with images and text, and adaptable interface settings such as contrast adjustment, flexible layouts, and text-to-speech support. The resulting system underwent a heuristic evaluation using Nielsen’s ten usability heuristics, conducted with five Human-Computer Interaction professionals. The primary limitations identified were related to scanning-based interaction, feedback, and user control.
Palavras-chave:
ACC, CCN, Assistive Technology, Design and Accessibility
Referências
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Lindsay Pennington. 2008. Cerebral palsy and communication. Paediatrics and Child Health, 18, 9, 405–409. DOI: org/10.1016/j.paed.2008.05.013.
Kate Akers and et al. 2023. Autism and complex communnication needs (ccn). Retrieved Aug. 6, 2026 from [link].
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. [n. d.] Augmentative and alternative communication. ASHA Practice Portal. (). [link].
Clara Abdalla Ferraz, Marcos Araújo, and Luiz Carreiro. 2010. Inclusion of children with down syndrome and cerebral palsy in elementary schools: comparison between parents’ and teachers’ reports. Revista Brasileira de Educação Especial, 16, 397–414.
Janice Light and David McNaughton. 2012. The changing face of augmentative and alternative communication: past, present, and future challenges. (2012).
David Beukelman and Janice Light. 2020. Augmentative and alternative communication: Supporting children and adults with complex communication needs. Brooks Publishing.
Matthew J Page and et al. 2023. A declaração prisma 2020: diretriz atualizada para relatar revisões sistemáticas. Revista panamericana de salud publica, 46, e112.
Isabella Brito, Leticia Santos, Beatriz Silva, Mariana Castro, Matheus Santos, and Bruna Cunha. 2026. Requirements and quality attributes of high-tech aac solutions: an in-depth analysis. In Proceedings of the Brazilian Symposium on Multimedia and the Web (WebMedia). In press.
Janice Light. 1989. Toward a definition of communicative competence for individuals using augmentative and alternative communication systems. Augmentative and alternative communication, 5, 2, 137–144.
Free Software Foundation. 2007. Gnu general public license, version 3. Rereleased as version 3 on 29 June 2007. (2007). [link].
Benjamin Klaus and et al. 2024. Asterics grid: why freely accessible software is needed for democratizing aac in the long term. In International Conference on Computers Helping People with Special Needs. Springer, 125–136.
Tobii Dynavox. 2024. Td snap communication platform - aac app software. (2024). [link].
Samuel Sennott and Adam Bowker. 2009. Autism, aac, and Proloquo2Go. Perspectives on Augmentative and Alternative Communication, 18, 4, 137–145.
Rodica Neamtu and et al. 2019. Using artificial intelligence for augmentative alternative communication for children with disabilities. In Human-Computer Interaction–INTERACT 2019: 17th IFIP TC 13 International Conference, Paphos, Cyprus, September 2–6, 2019, Proceedings, Part I 17. Springer, 234–243.
Jakob Nielsen. 1994. Enhancing the explanatory power of usability heuristics. In Proceedings of the SIGCHI conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, 152–158.
Lindsay Pennington. 2008. Cerebral palsy and communication. Paediatrics and Child Health, 18, 9, 405–409. DOI: org/10.1016/j.paed.2008.05.013.
Kate Akers and et al. 2023. Autism and complex communnication needs (ccn). Retrieved Aug. 6, 2026 from [link].
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. [n. d.] Augmentative and alternative communication. ASHA Practice Portal. (). [link].
Clara Abdalla Ferraz, Marcos Araújo, and Luiz Carreiro. 2010. Inclusion of children with down syndrome and cerebral palsy in elementary schools: comparison between parents’ and teachers’ reports. Revista Brasileira de Educação Especial, 16, 397–414.
Janice Light and David McNaughton. 2012. The changing face of augmentative and alternative communication: past, present, and future challenges. (2012).
David Beukelman and Janice Light. 2020. Augmentative and alternative communication: Supporting children and adults with complex communication needs. Brooks Publishing.
Matthew J Page and et al. 2023. A declaração prisma 2020: diretriz atualizada para relatar revisões sistemáticas. Revista panamericana de salud publica, 46, e112.
Isabella Brito, Leticia Santos, Beatriz Silva, Mariana Castro, Matheus Santos, and Bruna Cunha. 2026. Requirements and quality attributes of high-tech aac solutions: an in-depth analysis. In Proceedings of the Brazilian Symposium on Multimedia and the Web (WebMedia). In press.
Janice Light. 1989. Toward a definition of communicative competence for individuals using augmentative and alternative communication systems. Augmentative and alternative communication, 5, 2, 137–144.
Free Software Foundation. 2007. Gnu general public license, version 3. Rereleased as version 3 on 29 June 2007. (2007). [link].
Benjamin Klaus and et al. 2024. Asterics grid: why freely accessible software is needed for democratizing aac in the long term. In International Conference on Computers Helping People with Special Needs. Springer, 125–136.
Tobii Dynavox. 2024. Td snap communication platform - aac app software. (2024). [link].
Samuel Sennott and Adam Bowker. 2009. Autism, aac, and Proloquo2Go. Perspectives on Augmentative and Alternative Communication, 18, 4, 137–145.
Rodica Neamtu and et al. 2019. Using artificial intelligence for augmentative alternative communication for children with disabilities. In Human-Computer Interaction–INTERACT 2019: 17th IFIP TC 13 International Conference, Paphos, Cyprus, September 2–6, 2019, Proceedings, Part I 17. Springer, 234–243.
Jakob Nielsen. 1994. Enhancing the explanatory power of usability heuristics. In Proceedings of the SIGCHI conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, 152–158.
Publicado
27/10/2026
Como Citar
SANTOS, Letícia A.; RIBERTO, José G. S.; CUNHA, Bruna C. R..
Accessible AAC System with Multimodal Interaction Support: VivaVox platform. In: WORKSHOP DE FERRAMENTAS E APLICAÇÕES - SIMPÓSIO BRASILEIRO DE SISTEMAS MULTIMÍDIA E WEB (WEBMEDIA), 32. , 2026, Lavras/MG.
Anais [...].
Porto Alegre: Sociedade Brasileira de Computação,
2026
.
p. 86-89.
ISSN 2596-1683.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5753/webmedia_estendido.2026.34791.
