Unintelligible Speech

Communication aids provide communication access to people who have speech, hearing, or cognitive impairments. By typing words and sentences or touching pictures and symbols, an individual who has no speech or limited ability to speak can communicate through text, synthesized speech, or a prerecorded voice. Communication devices can be used to communicate in situations involving personal communication, groups, or the telephone.

Individuals who have difficulty communicating orally may be able to communicate effectively by typing, writing, or using sign language. In addition, individuals who have difficulty communicating in writing may be able to communicate effectively orally.

Job restructuring is a form of reasonable accommodation which enables many qualified individuals with disabilities to perform jobs effectively. Job restructuring as a reasonable accommodation may involve reallocating or redistributing the marginal functions of a job. However, an employer is not required to reallocate essential functions of a job as a reasonable accommodation. Essential functions, by definition, are those that a qualified individual must perform, with or without an accommodation. An employer may exchange marginal functions of a job that cannot be performed by a person with a disability for marginal job functions performed by one or more other employees. Although an employer is not required to reallocate essential job functions, it may be a reasonable accommodation to modify the essential functions of a job by changing when or how they are done.

The following speech generating communication devices are products that enable a person with limited or no speech to communicate face-to-face and using the telephone. This type of device is sometimes called a communication aid or AAC, which stands for Augmentative and Alternative Communication.