Affiliations: New Technologies – Research Centre, University of West Bohemia, Plzen, Czech Republic
Correspondence:
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Corresponding author: Jiří Mertl, New Technologies – Research Centre, University of West Bohemia, Univerzitni 8, 306 14, Plzen, Czech Republic. E-mail: jmertl@ntc.zcu.cz;jir.mertl@gmail.com.
Abstract: BACKGROUND: In this article, we will present Key-to-Voice, a software design that we developed in collaboration with people who have complex communication needs and respective research that we conducted during the collaboration. The design is the first of its kind and there has not been any similar research linked to testing the design in the Czech Republic. OBJECTIVE: Our original intention was to develop a device that could give a voice to people with severe health problems and enable them to verbalise their thoughts after medical treatment in hospital. METHODS: Participatory design was used throughout the development and we employed participatory observation, informal interviews and simple questionnaire for the research of the possibilities of the design implementation in a hospital environment. RESULTS: Target group accepted the design we developed without any major problems and, at the same time, the design, and its possibilities of implementation and usage, was improved by participation of people who will be potentially using it. Given that our target group consists mainly of older adults with some kind of complex communication need, possibly acquired disability, we had to consider these aspects during development, as there is, for example, a problem in that older adults can have difficulty using technologies. CONCLUSION: Our design is usable in a hospital environment without any major problems. Participatory design is a very effective approach for making any design better and more usable by a target group, and for minimising bias, stigmatization and exclusion.
Keywords: Android app, augmentative and alternative communication, complex communication needs, Czech Republic, participatory design, total laryngectomy
