Designing augmentative and alternative communication systems with Aboriginal Australians: vocabulary representation, layout, and access

Figures & data

Table 1. Participant characteristics.

Individual (P) and family members (FM)	Sex	Age range (years)	Stage of Machado– Joseph disease	No. of research sessions attended
P1	F	40–50	Mild	6
P2	F	20–30	Mild	2
P3	F	30–40	Moderate	4
P4	F	50–60	Moderate	5
P5	F	50–60	Moderate	3
P6	F	18–20	Severe	6
P7	M	20–30	Moderate	4
P8	F	50–60	Moderate	5
P9	M	50–60	Moderate	6
P10	F	50–60	Moderate	3
FM1	M	30–40	NA	4
FM2	F	20–30	NA	5
FM3	F	18–20	NA	1
FM4	M	18–20	At risk	2
FM5	F	20–30	At risk	3

Figure 1. Yolŋu AAC system prototype A. Yolŋu alphabet board with English alphabet on reverse side, same format. Top row presents cells for message editing. Second row presents Yolŋu vowels in “short and long pairs.” Rows 3 to 5 present consonants in alphabetical order. Final row cell “button” to indicate space bar.

Figure 2. Yolŋu AAC system prototype B. Yolŋu core word board with core vocabulary represented in words presented in alphabetical order, top left. Suffixes presented top right, with far right side panel with cells for message editing. Yolŋu core categories “kin relations,” “skin names,” “clan names” presented bottom left, and Yolŋu and English alphabets with numbers presented in bottom right.

Figure 3. Yolŋu AAC system prototype C. Yolŋu comprehensive communication book with core vocabulary represented by words on front center page. Under pages present Yolŋu core categories in words, fringe vocabulary represented by symbols in alphabetical sound letter groups/categories, and English words and alphabet. Left side panel cells for navigation and message editing, right side with Yolŋu suffixes and bottom panel with Yolŋu alphabet.

Figure 4. Yolŋu AAC system prototype D. Yolŋu comprehensive communication book with Yolŋu core categories represented by symbols, followed by core and fringe vocabulary represented by symbols in alphabetical sound letter groups/categories. Yolŋu suffixes, place names and English words represented by symbols presented on last pages with English alphabet. Left side panel cells for navigation and message editing and bottom panel with Yolŋu alphabet.