About Project Open - UNC-Project-Open-AAC/OS-DPI GitHub Wiki

Project Open

Project Open is a joint effort between researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the University at Buffalo.

Project Open is aimed at improving in-person expressive communication for individuals who use AAC technology (AAC-T) to mediate interactions. We use the term AAC-T to refer specifically to aided AAC systems that are computer technology-based, permit the storage and retrieval of messages, and produce voice output. Project Open is focused specifically on older adolescents and adults with complex communication needs (CCN). The project has integrated research and development tracks.

The Research Track will produce a (a) catalog of the problems individuals with CCN and a range of etiologies experience using AAC-T to replace or support speech and other modes of communication; and (b) the strategies individuals with CCN and their communication partners employ to address problems and support successful in-person interactions. The catalog of problems and strategies will be shared within the Project Open Design Community to help fill the research-to-practice gap.

The Development Track will produce an Open-Source Design and Programmer Interface (OS-DPI).

Funding is provided from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR grant number 90DPCP0007). NIDILRR is a Center within the Administration for Community Living (ACL), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).  The contents of this presentation do not necessarily represent the policy of NIDILRR, ACL, or HHS, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government.