PockeTalk - AAC

Welcome to PockeTalk, our innovative app for assisted communication. It is designed for people with different speech disorders such as aphasia, dysarthria or verbal apraxia.

- Target group: This app is specifically designed for people with speech disorders to help them express themselves more effectively and communicate better. The variety of speech disorders supported makes the app a valuable tool for people with different needs.

- Accessibility and user-friendliness: Our app is characterized by accessibility, clarity and user-friendliness. The clear structure and user-friendly interface make it easy to navigate and use, even for people with limited technology experience.

- Pragmatic starters: The app is structured according to the concept of pragmatic starters to enable users to get started easily and intuitively. Pragmatic starters are communication functions, which means that the words are structured according to the function that you want to express with what you say (something is needed, something is wrong, etc.). This structure makes it possible to keep the number of fields on the start page as low as possible, which is relevant for our app due to the screen size of smartphones. In contrast, structuring by category on the start page (food, drink, pain, places, feelings, etc.) would require significantly more fields, and the chosen structure has some advantages, such as the efficient expression of certain statements. However, it has the disadvantage that the statements are usually not grammatically correct. Practical topics relevant to everyday life make it easier to use and promote effective communication in everyday life.

- Multilingualism: The current version of the app is available in four languages: German, English, Greek and Turkish. The focus is on supporting users in Germany and the app is currently distributed in the German App Store.

- Integration of speech engines: Our app uses the speech engine of the respective device to ensure natural and high-quality speech output. The ability to switch between the four available languages allows users to customize the app to their individual needs. Please note that adding or changing languages is done directly on the device, and the app accesses the existing engine.

Communication devices that are certified as medical devices and have an aid number can be applied for via the health insurance company. This involves a lot of effort and is not always easy, as the costs of such medical devices are usually very high and health insurance companies do not always cover these costs.
PockeTalk is a low-cost alternative that enables these people to communicate some of their basic needs and satisfy their need for communication at a basic level. The app does not claim to be able to express all needs and cannot do so. However, it does offer the opportunity to communicate at least some important everyday needs and to reconnect with other people.

Your feedback on improving the app is welcome and supports all people with speech disorders.