Design an accessible communication prototype
https://patrickz.ai/learn/design-an-accessible-communication-board/

OUTCOME
Plan a small communication board with multiple ways to select and a visible cancel action.

YOU NEED
Paper or a simple web prototype, a chat assistant and a consenting tester. Use fictional phrases for the first pass.

1. Start with a person’s choices
Ask which messages are useful and which input is comfortable. Do not assume that speech difficulty means a lack of understanding. Begin with four large picture-and-text choices.

2. Keep the first interface simple
Include select, clear, repeat and pause. Make the selected message visible before or while it is spoken. Keep ordinary touch or keyboard input available.

3. Add one alternative input
Try a deliberate dwell (selecting by resting the pointer on an item for a set time) or switch-scanning (items highlight in turn and one button selects) prototype before adding camera control. Make timing adjustable and show which item is active. Prevent accidental repeated selection.

4. Test comfort and recovery
This can be a separate short session. Use familiar yes/no questions and an easy way to stop. Record mistaken selections and fatigue. Revise with the person; do not claim clinical validation from a technical demo.

PROMPT
Help design a four-message communication-board prototype. User preferences: [consented observations]. Include touch/keyboard access, one optional alternative input, visible focus, adjustable timing, clear/repeat/pause controls and a test plan. Use fictional messages and avoid assumptions about cognition.

EXAMPLE / EXPERIMENT
A dwell selection needs a visible progress cue and a way to move away without activation. A button that works once but repeats uncontrollably has not passed the interaction test.

CHECK YOUR RESULT
[ ] The person can stop or pause the interaction.
[ ] At least one non-camera input works.
[ ] Mistaken and repeated selections are recorded.

IF IT FAILS
If an item fires by accident, lengthen the dwell time and require the pointer or scan to leave an item before it can select again. If the tester tires or seems uncomfortable, stop, cut the board to two choices and record both as design findings. This is a learning prototype, not a clinically validated device or an emergency communication method; involve a qualified communication professional for real care decisions.

MY RESULT / NEXT CHANGE