Aphasia and Alexa: ‘I dinnae ken if I’m capable of that’

Aphasia is a complex language and communication disorder caused by damage to the brain’s language centres. It can affect a person’s ability to speak, understand, read, and write, creating challenges when using voice-activated assistants like Amazon Alexa.

This project, involving four co-designers with aphasia alongside speech and language therapists and human-computer interaction researchers, produced four short videos capturing real-life experiences of using Alexa via the Amazon Fire Stick. These videos highlight both the difficulties and successes people with aphasia face when interacting with voice technology.

The talk will share key takeaways from this collaboration to inform future improvements in voice recognition technology. It offers practical recommendations for developers, therapists, and researchers to make voice assistants more accessible, broadening opportunities for people with communication disabilities to engage fully with digital technology.

About the speaker:

Amy is a speech and language therapist with 15 years’ experience working in Dundee and across Tayside. Her clinical work focuses on supporting adults with acquired communication changes, particularly through the use of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) technologies.

She values quality rehabilitation that fosters authentic collaboration between therapists and service users in developing innovative interventions. Amy recognises the challenges of creating meaningful collaboration with individuals who have complex communication and cognitive needs. She works daily with people who bring a wealth of knowledge and experience, shaping our understanding of communication support.

Recently, she had the opportunity to work with Dr Abi Roper and a co-design team of local people with aphasia on a project exploring the experiences of people with aphasia using Amazon’s Alexa voice technology. This work resulted in a series of short films highlighting user perspectives and design considerations.