Alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) systems used by people with speech disabilities rely on text-to-speech (TTS) engines for synthesizing speech. Advances in TTS systems allowing for the rendering of speech with a range of emotions have yet to be incorporated into AAC systems, leaving AAC users with speech that is mostly devoid of emotion and expressivity. In this work, we describe voicesetting as the process of authoring the speech properties of text. We present the design and evaluation of two voicesetting user interfaces: the Expressive Keyboard, designed for rapid addition of expressivity to speech, and the Voicesetting Editor, designed for more careful crafting of the way text should be spoken. We evaluated the perceived output quality, requisite effort, and usability of both interfaces; the concept of voicesetting and our interfaces were highly valued by end-users as an enhancement to communication quality. We close by discussing design insights from our evaluations.

Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices are a critical technology for people with disabilities that affect their speech. One challenge with AAC systems is their inability to portray aspects of nonverbal communication that typically accent, complement, regulate, or substitute for verbal speech. In this paper, we explore the design space of awareness displays that can supplement AAC devices, considering their output features and their effects on the perceptions of interlocutors. Through designing prototypes and getting feedback on our designs from people with ALS, their primary caregivers, and other communication partners, we consider (1) the consistent tensions that arose between abstractness and clarity in meaning for these designs and (2) the ways in which these designs can further mark users as "other." Overall, we contribute a generative understanding of designing AAC awareness displays to augment and contextualize communication.

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a disease that causes individuals to lose their ability to control their muscles, eventually leaving them unable to speak or write. People with ALS often transition to using an augmentative and alternative communication device (AAC), which requires both the AAC user and their conversation partners to adjust to new and different communication patterns. We conducted interviews with seven individuals with ALS and their partners, focusing on how AAC use has impacted their communication and personal expression. Our participants experienced a range of communication difficulties, including conversational pacing, personality expression, and interacting with unfamiliar conversational partners. Participants worked to adapt their communication behaviors to the AAC device, but still experienced challenges in expressing themselves, and sometimes felt compelled to withdraw from social interaction. By improving our understanding of how people transition to using AAC, we may inform improved designs for future AAC devices.