If anyone has ever spoken to Will or me (Gavin) about software, we will no doubt have mentioned the importance of open source software. We are obsessed. Open source software is a key part of modern software, and at AAC Tools we know that it is critical to the success of the AAC industry.

We have seen so much success come out of open source software in the AAC field that we know would not have happened in a closed source environment. There are two main reasons it is especially important to the AAC industry.

The first is the size and demographics of the developer community around AAC. There is a very active community of developers looking to create new and innovative AAC solutions. However, many of these developers are researchers or are building in their spare time because they have an idea they want to explore. Neither group has time to waste, so this is why it is important that we all work as much as possible in the open: to stop spending time solving the same problems and instead focus on whatever innovation we are pursuing.

Another reason we feel strongly about open source is that we believe people who use AAC should be free to combine and move between AAC platforms as much as they want. Ultimately, they should own the tools they use to communicate as much as possible, and open source helps them achieve that. A huge shoutout here to Brian at OpenAAC, who developed Open Board Format (OBF), a shared and entirely open format for vocabulary packages. AAC Tools is proud to support OBF in our translation tool.

Our translation tool is built on a library we created to process vocabulary packages and make sense of them. We call this AACProcessors, and we maintain it as an open source package for the entire community to use. This benefits others working in the same area, and also benefits us when others choose to contribute back.

Another library we have open sourced is a text-to-speech (TTS) wrapper that allows you to communicate easily with different TTS engines. This is something every AAC tool has to do, so we figured we should open source our efforts so others can benefit.

Owen McGirr, the developer behind Switchify and Sayit! AAC (and lots more), has been using the text-to-speech wrapper and has become a maintainer. Here are a few thoughts from Owen on the importance of open source in the world of AAC.

“I have been developing AAC systems for a decade. I am also an AAC user. I can’t downplay the importance of libraries such as the text-to-speech wrapper that Will and Gavin have made available. With this, I am able to provide over 600 voices in SayIt!. Also, because the library is open source, I was able to become a maintainer and was able to ship several additions to it. Huge thanks to the guys for giving me the opportunity and trust to do this. I like to think of open source as a foundation. It is essential for building software and I believe that the AAC community will greatly benefit from more companies and individuals who share their code.”

Tools and libraries like the text-to-speech wrapper, and countless others vital to the AAC field, are built and maintained by dedicated individuals, researchers, and companies who invest significant time and resources. For the AAC industry to keep benefiting from this essential foundation, develop more rapidly, and enable AAC users to be at the forefront of development, we must collectively address how we support the continuous development and upkeep of these crucial shared resources. Whether through funding projects, contributing code, or providing technical documentation, supporting maintainers is essential to ensure the open source foundation remains strong for everyone.

Without developers like Owen and others contributing and creating open source software, the entire industry would move much slower. This is why, at AAC Tools, we are committed to open sourcing large parts of our code and supporting the community.

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