ABSTRACT
Keywords: Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), talking computers,
non-speaking, aided and unaided forms of communication
Ruth Sienkiewicz-Mercer, a woman with severe physical disabilities who has never
spoken, wrote, “If I were granted one wish and one wish only, I would not hesitate for an
instant to request that I be able to talk if only for one day, or even one hour”
(Sienkiewicz-Mercer & Kaplan, 1989). Virtually without giving it an overt thought, we
communicate and interact with others through speech. We use speech as a vehicle for self
expression. It offers us a window into a person’s thoughts, feelings, hopes, needs, and
desires. One’s “voice” is also a personal signature; we all can easily remember the way in
which a special relative or close friend’s voice sounds. While these are often abilities and
skills that we take for granted, each of us can recall an example of the frustration caused
by temporary silence, like that associated with a severe case of laryngitis.
