News and Insights
Aphasia and Socio-Digital Exclusion
07/01/2024
Aphasia impacts around 350,000 people in the UK, most often following a stroke, and is a complex language and communication disorder. It is very common, with a third of stroke survivors being affected by it.
People with aphasia typically have trouble with the four ways in which we communicate with one another; reading, listening, speaking, and typing or writing. In an age of digital communication, people with aphasia may face several additional barriers and suffer more severely from the effects of digital exclusion. Two articles by Fiona Menger, Julie Morris, and Christos Sallis identified several concrete barriers to digital participation for those living with aphasia.[1]
Body Function and Structure
Those who experience impairment of spoken comprehension may struggle to interact with audio-visual content. Moreover, given the importance of competent language skills and other cognitive functions, it may be a challenge for those with aphasia to negotiate broadband contracts and seek support for ICT-related problems. Given that some may be affected by other physical impairments, such as deteriorating vision, this could affect the ability of aphasia survivors to physically access computer equipment.
Activity and Participation
The challenges of participating digitally may exacerbate social exclusion and isolation.[2] Today, and increasingly, we need digital access to stay in touch with family and friends, manage finances, apply for jobs, enroll in education, and so on. Due to impaired cognitive skills and language abilities, it may be difficult for aphasia survivors to reap the social benefits of full digital participation, leading to heightened levels of anxiety and stress.
Environmental and Personal Factors
Modifications to online environments are necessary for aphasia survivors, as with other people living with disabilities. Yet, many disability advocates ‘might have a poor awareness of aphasia’[3], with many service providers failing to take into account the specific needs of aphasia survivors. Family and friends may be able to offer extra support, but they may have varying levels of abilities and skills and feel uncomfortable with using digital services. This problem is partly exacerbated by the reality of differences among aphasia survivors in terms of personal preferences, gender, educational levels, age, and previous experience in using the internet and digital platforms.
Digital Support Solutions
Although aphasia survivors face further risk of socio-digital exclusion, it should be noted that digital solutions may offer important support. The National Aphasia Association lists a number of assistive technologies for persons with aphasia, caregivers, and speech pathologists[4]; Constant Therapy, which is designed for those recovering from a stroke, or living with aphasia, dementia, or similar neurological conditions; Lingraphia offers dedicated communication devices for adults with aphasia, and can support individuals with physical limitations who need hands-free ways to communicate (through, for example, ‘eye gazing technology’).
An overview article on digital solutions for aphasia survivors by Asghar, Egaji, and Griffiths sheds further light on this issue.[5] This includes communication aids (such as Touch-speak software), and virtual therapists, offering training exercises to retain linguistic abilities from the comfort of their own homes. Virtual Reality technologies have also been used as rehabilitative tools, such as Everyday Life Activities; a virtual house designed for people with aphasia where the user can train through ‘discovery, structured discovery and memory tasks with the use of a mouse in the virtual environment’.
The relationship between aphasia and digital exclusion is complex and multifaceted, but recent research points towards the possibilities of using innovative technological tools to support the socio-digital inclusion of aphasia survivors.
References
[1] Menger, F., Morris, J., and Salis, C. (2016). Aphasia in an Internet Age: Wider Perspectives on Digital Inclusion. Aphasiology, 30(2-3): 112-132; Menger, F., Morris, J., and Salis, C. (2020). The impact of aphasia on Internet and technology use. Disability and Rehabilitation, 42(21): 2986-2996.
[2] Parr, S. (2011). Living with severe aphasia: Tracking social exclusion. Aphasiology, 21(1): 98-123.
[3] Menger, F., Morris, J., and Salis, C. (2016).
[5] Asghar, I., Egaji, O.A., and Griffiths, M. (2021). An overview of the digital solutions for helping people with aphasia through bibliometric analysis. eNeurologicalSci, 22(March): 100311.
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