JCPSLP Vol 18 no 2 2016

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National Disability Insurance Scheme
JCPSLP Volume 18, Number 2 2016 67
Kate L. Anderson
(top) and
Paul Andres
THIS ARTICLE
HAS BEEN
PEER-
REVIEWED
KEYWORDS
AUGMENTATIVE
AND ALTERNATIVE
COMMUNICATION
(AAC)
AUSTRALIA
CAPACITY
BUILDING
HEALTH-
INFORMATION
SEEKING
INTERNET
NATIONAL
DISABILITY
INSURANCE
SCHEME (NDIS)
Googling AAC: Exploring the
relevance, scope, and credibility
of online information about
augmentative and alternative
communication
Kate L. Anderson and Paul Andres
Australian parents of children who use AAC have described
several information priorities, including well-timed advice
about AAC services, products, and home implementation
(Anderson, Balandin, & Stancliffe, 2014). Nonetheless for
many, time and logistics are major barriers to in-person
consultation or training (Anderson et al., 2014).
As an alternative, information may be presented
on-line, either synchronously (e.g., webinars, on-line
product demonstrations, and real-time social media), or
in asynchronous formats (e.g., webpages and discussion
boards). Relatively little is known about the utility, scope,
and quality of asynchronous on-line information sources
pertaining to AAC. In general, health consumers and
their families report a range of benefits to on-line health-
information access including privacy, convenience, and the
breadth of available information (Roche & Skinner, 2009),
yet it is important to note that not all information seekers
benefit equally from on-line information, and not all on-line
information is equal. For instance, individuals without
internet access or on-line capability are frequently excluded
from the same health information access as on-line peers
(Blackburn & Read, 2005).
Even on-line, health consumers may face additional
hurdles to information access. Parents in Roche and
Skinner’s study (2009) cited a range of access barriers
to on-line health information, including a lack of search
confidence, Internet knowledge, or necessary technology,
while 85% of parents in Blackburn and Read’s study (2005)
reported difficulty in finding the specific information they
required. Given the written complexity of most on-line
health information, searchers with intellectual disability
or low literacy skills are at an additional disadvantage
(Zaidman-Zait & Jamieson, 2007), and for those with
physical disability, lack of assistive technology provisions
may be an additional barrier to access. The Internet also
creates potential risks for misdirection and information
overload. Still, 74% of health-information seekers report
feeling reassurance at the information they find (Fox, 2006),
suggesting that the Internet is a valued knowledge source
among people with illness or disability. Before we can
critique existing asynchronous on-line information for AAC
consumers specifically, it is first important to understand
typical approaches to health-information searching on-line.
What do we know about health-
information seeking on the Internet?
On-line asynchronous health information reaches the typical
searcher through a number of routes. In a US survey, 77%
Under the National Disability Insurance Scheme
(NDIS), Australians who use alternative and
augmentative communication (AAC) and their
support networks can increasingly expect to
make decisions about technology, intervention,
and service providers. Knowledge is key to
informed choice and agency, and yet little is
known about the quality of online information
available to people who use AAC and their
support networks. This study analysed the
relevance, purpose, and credibility of 300
webpages resulting from 15 AAC-related
keyword searches in Google. Eighty-one per
cent of the sites were judged to be at least
somewhat relevant to AAC. Search results
included sites for commercial marketing and
sales, independent reviews, service networking,
and implementation guidance, and varied
greatly between general and product- /
diagnosis-specific searches. The presence of
credibility indicators was also variable. Based
on the findings of this and other studies, we
suggest strategies for improving accessibility
and uptake of high quality on-line AAC
information. Areas for future research and
development are also flagged.
As the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS)
is rolled out, people with disability, including
people who use augmentative and alternative
communication (AAC), will gain greater control over
the type, context and providers of their support, and
many will self-manage their support budgets. One focus
objective of the NDIS scheme falls within the category of
“information, linkages, and capacity building” (ILC), which
includes knowledge and capacity building for individuals
with disability, and for the broader communities they are
part of (Disability Reform Council, 2015). ILC supports
have particularly high relevance to the Australian AAC
community, whose individual members will be expected to
make informed decisions about intervention approaches,
goal-setting, and assistive technology. As a complex
and rapidly evolving field, such decisions necessitate the
availability of current, high-quality information. Indeed,