New U.S. study finds assistive communication improves lives by 65% and delivers 3.3x return

A new U.S. health economic study commissioned by Dynavox Group finds that high-tech assistive communication can significantly improve quality of life for people with disabilities while delivering clear economic benefits to society.

STOCKHOLM, June 30, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The study, Exploring the Benefits of Assistive Communication, was conducted by the research firm Augur in collaboration with researchers from Boston College. It evaluates the impact of high-tech augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) in the United States across people with cerebral palsy, autism and ALS, as well as caregivers.

The findings show that assistive communication is an investment with measurable returns:

• Pays for itself more than three times over
• Delivers a return on investment of 3.3x
• Improves users' quality of life by 65%

Users reported meaningful improvements across communication, participation, and well-being:

• 72% can better express their own desires and preferences
• 69% feel encouraged to communicate
• 53% are better able to express health needs and issues

Diagnosis-specific results show how these gains translate into real impact. Among people with ALS, a majority can communicate digitally, express health needs and call for help more easily, while caregivers report less guesswork, better understanding of user needs and reduced worry. Together, these improvements help explain both the increase in quality of life and the strong economic return.

"This study reinforces what we see every day: when people have access to high-tech assistive communication, it changes what's possible, helping individuals participate more fully in life while also delivering clear value for families, systems, and society," said Tara Rudnicki, President North America, Tobii Dynavox.

"As someone who has worked alongside individuals who use augmentative and alternative communication for many years, it is encouraging to see research that reinforces what many families, educators, and clinicians have witnessed firsthand. Access to communication opens doors to education, employment, relationships, healthcare, and self-advocacy. These findings highlight that investing in augmentative and alternative communication benefits individuals, families, and society," said Elizabeth W. Stewart, Ph.D., ATP, Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Special Education at The University of Alabama.

More information about the study is available here: https://assistivecommunication.com/united-states-study

About Dynavox Group

Dynavox Group AB (publ) is the parent company for Tobii Dynavox, the global leader in assistive communication. Headquartered in Stockholm, and listed on Nasdaq Stockholm (DYVOX), Dynavox Group, together with its brands has over 1,000 employees and serves customers in 65+ countries. Tobii Dynavox's custom designed solutions enable people with disabilities such as cerebral palsy, ALS, autism and spinal cord injury to communicate with a voice of their own, develop literacy skills and live more independently. To date, hundreds of thousands of people worldwide have benefited from our integrated solutions, which include hardware, software, clinically developed language systems, mounting solutions, training, and dedicated support. We offer extensive funding expertise to facilitate funding for as many people as possible. As voice and motor impairments are common among our users, our solutions are accessed via alternative methods, such as eye gaze or touch screen. Using AI-based speech synthesis, we offer users a personalized voice identity in over 30 languages, for children and adults. For more information, please visit the Dynavox Group website: www.dynavoxgroup.com 

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SOURCE Dynavox Group AB (publ)