Celebrate AAC Awareness Month with 50% Off Spoken Premium

Every October, AAC Awareness Month shines a light on the ways people communicate when speech isn’t an option. As the makers of Spoken, it’s a month that means a lot to us.

If you’re completely new to AAC, we have another article that goes into depth on augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) and why it’s used: “What is AAC?” The short version is that AAC encompasses all the tools and methods people use to supplement or replace speech.

Spoken is one of many AAC options, but we’ve designed it to be very flexible so it works for different types of users. It helps people communicate using the phone or tablet they likely already own and offers tools to make getting from thought to speech faster and easier.

Each year, we celebrate AAC Awareness Month with a sale. For the entire month, Spoken Premium is 50% off. The discount applies to every Premium option, including Spoken for Life, our one-time purchase option. The sale runs through October and can be found in-app or on our website.

The Importance of AAC Awareness

One of the biggest reasons AAC awareness matters is simple: you can’t use a communication tool you don’t know exists. Many people who need AAC don’t know about it or don’t realize the breadth of options. People often get stuck with whatever kind of AAC they’re first introduced to, whether it’s the best option for them or not. That’s why it’s not just important to raise awareness about AAC in general, but also the many different approaches available.

Increasing awareness also benefits existing AAC users by showing those around them that AAC is a valid form of communication. It can also teach people to follow proper etiquette when interacting with AAC users, like giving them enough time to compose a response or ensuring they have equal opportunities to participate in conversations.

The more familiar people are with AAC, the fewer barriers AAC users have to overcome just to be heard. Awareness can help create spaces where communicating differently doesn’t mean being left out of the conversation.

So please, help spread the word about AAC!

Try Spoken During AAC Awareness Month

If you are looking into trying AAC or know someone who could benefit from it, consider Spoken. It’s an AAC app designed with teens and adults in mind. At its core, Spoken uses predictive language to help users build sentences more quickly and then speaks them aloud in a natural-sounding text-to-speech voice of their choosing.

But that’s only the starting point. Spoken can be adapted around different communication needs, with multiple ways to get from an idea to a message. Someone might type and use predictions, rely on saved phrases for things they say often, or turn to tools like the intelligent drawing canvas when finding the right word is difficult. Users can seamlessly switch between the approaches they find most useful and even customize the experience around their individual needs and preferences.

The app is free to download so you can try it first and decide whether it fits the way you communicate. When you join, you’re automatically enrolled in a free trial of Spoken Premium so you can check out all of the app’s features.

If you want to keep the additional features included with Spoken Premium, all options are 50% off until the end of October to celebrate AAC Awareness Month. That includes our monthly and annual subscriptions, but also Spoken for Life, our one-time purchase option. You can find these offers in the app, or on our website here.

For Returning Users: Spoken Just Updated

Returning to Spoken? AAC Awareness Month arrives just a week after our latest update, version 1.9.6, available now on the App Store and Google Play.

The headlining feature of 1.9.6 is emoji input, a new way to find words in Spoken. It essentially acts as a visual search, similar to the app’s intelligent drawing canvas. Just enter an emoji and Spoken will suggest related words.

Another change we’re excited about is that word icons can now adapt based on context. This means there is improved coverage for words that have identical spellings but different meanings. That’s on top of the 100+ icons we added.

1.9.6 also includes color and contrast adjustments for better accessibility, improved spellcheck suggestions on Android, and several other quality-of-life improvements like the ability to undo deleted saved phrases.

Help Spread AAC Awareness

AAC Awareness Month is ultimately about making more people aware of the communication options available to them and helping create a world where AAC users have equal opportunities to be heard. Whether that means sharing what you’ve learned, exploring AAC for yourself, or helping someone else find the right tools, spreading awareness can make a real difference.

And if you decide Spoken is the right communication option for you, don’t forget that you can get Premium for 50% off through the end of October.