Speech and Language Impairment
Speech and language disorders include problems with communication and oral motor movement. Individuals with speech or language impairments may have difficulty forming sounds to produce fluent speech (stuttering) or may have difficulty using and understanding spoken language (i.e., aphasia). "Some causes of speech and language disorders include hearing loss, neurological disorders, brain injury, mental retardation, drug abuse, physical impairments such as cleft lip or palate, and vocal abuse or misuse." In some cases an individual is unable to speak and may use "electronic communication systems" (National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities, 2004).
Statistics
U. S. estimates indicate that one every 10 people is affected by a communication disorder including speech, language, and hearing disorders (National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities, 2004).
Accessibility and Speech and Language Impairment
For individuals with speech impairments accessibility can be an issue when applications require voice input. Providing non-vocal methods for input may be necessary. As with individuals with learning disabilities, making sure Web text is well written, well organized and appropriate for presentation on a Web page can be beneficial for those with some types of language disorders.
Resources
For more information on speech and language impairments:
- American Speech and Language Association. Stuttering. Available at http://www.asha.org/public/speech/ChildSandL/stuttering.htm
- Foundation for Research and Technology - Hellas (FORTH). Institute of Computer Science. Disabilities affecting computer accessibility. Available at http://www.ics.forth.gr/hci/ua-games/disabilities.html
- National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities. (2004). Speech and Language Impairments Fact Sheet #11. Available at http://www.nichcy.org/pubs/factshe/fs11txt.htm
- Usability First. Accessibility: Types of Accessibility Aids. Available at http://www.usabilityfirst.com/accessibility/types.txl
