Communication boards
Overview
Communication boards are simple visual tools that use pictures, symbols and words to help people communicate. These communication boards are practical resources that organisations can use in everyday settings like customer service, community spaces and workplaces. People can point to images to answer questions, make choices, express needs, or show how they are feeling, without relying on spoken language.
Communication boards are a form of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC). AAC supports people who are nonverbal, minimally verbal, or who understand and express messages better through pictures than speech. For many communicators, visual information is clearer, easier to process and less overwhelming than words alone. Communication boards give people a reliable way to be understood, especially in situations where speech is hard, unavailable or stressful.
AAC and communication boards are essential for disability inclusion because communication is a human right. Without accessible communication tools, people with communication disability can be excluded, misunderstood or forced to rely on others to guess their needs. Communication boards reduce barriers, support independence and choice, and send a clear message: everyone belongs, and everyone deserves to communicate in the way that works best for them.