APP STORE AWARDS

Cultural Impact winner: Proloquo

Proloquo

The Next Generation AAC App

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The accessibility-app pioneer is taking strides to make augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) a more accepted – and effective – way to connect.

– App Store editors

For over a decade, AssistiveWare’s groundbreaking AAC apps for iPhone and iPad have helped give voice to those who are unable to produce oral speech.

The developer’s latest generation of apps – Proloquo and its companion, Proloquo Coach – broke new ground in a different way: by supporting not just AAC users but also their families, friends and educators.

In Proloquo, words are colour-coded to make them easier to find. Users can create their own groupings and customise buttons with, say, the name of a beloved pet.

With Proloquo, users tap words to create sentences that the app will speak aloud. A colour-coded layout organises words in a way that matches the fluidity of your thoughts: you can set up custom buttons for words you use frequently, quickly select synonyms and create folders for specific tasks, such as maths class or job interviews. With 12,000 words (and counting!), Proloquo’s library is about three times larger than any other AAC app.

Because your voice is a big part of your identity, the app has more than 40 child and adult text-to-speech voices to choose from. The app also supports Personal Voice, a feature on iPhone, iPad and Mac that lets you create a synthesised voice that sounds like your own.

AAC has a unique learning curve, so AssistiveWare also released Proloquo Coach to help caregivers and educators. Its in-depth lessons cover the basics of AAC and offer practical tips. For example, you’ll learn that when communicating with an AAC user, you should wait for a sign that indicates they’re finished with their thought before jumping in.

The app also offers strategies for working with users to help them identify their “core” words, so they can optimise the app for their needs. Practice activities give you a chance to put your new-found understanding into action.

According to AssistiveWare CEO David Niemeijer, one of the biggest hurdles for Proloquo users is the stigma surrounding AAC. “If someone cannot quickly express their thoughts, people easily jump to the conclusion that they may not have a lot to say, share or contribute,” Niemeijer says. “That assumption is the biggest problem.”

With Proloquo and Proloquo Coach, AssistiveWare continues to be an important part of the solution.

Quick tip

Both Proloquo and Proloquo Coach can be shared at no additional cost with family, friends, therapists and teachers. The apps also offer 24/7 access to expert support via text chat.

Fun fact

Although Proloquo was designed to facilitate communication with those who are unable to produce speech, educators have been using the app to teach language, categorisation and concepts, according to Niemeijer. The term proloquo is Latin for “to speak out loud”.

Meet the creator

David Niemeijer was inspired to devote his life’s work to the development of AAC after designer Giesbert Nijhuis, his friend since childhood, was paralysed in a car accident. Nijhuis went on to design the company’s logo and app icons.