Embedded Sanyog: a Portable Communication Tool for People with Multiple Disabilities

Approximately 60 millon people in India fall under the category of physically or mentally disabled out of which 2.1 millon people are affected with severe speech and motor impairments (SSMI). Unfortunately only a minute fraction of them have any access whatsoever to Advanced Assistive Devices (AAD) which are still very expensive and beyond the affordability of a majority of people in India. Moreover, such devices generate text messages or speech mostly in English which makes them unusable by a majority of the Indian population. It should be our endeavour to make these assistive devices accessible to the common multitude. This paper briefly describes a portable version of Sanyog, an Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) tool developed in India which caters to Indian multilingual needs. The communication tool is based on an iconic query-response interface. The system is currently available in English, Bengali and Hindi versions, and is used in a range of Indian institutions serving children with speech and motor impairments.