A Practical Guide to Translating Scientific Publications Into Aphasia-Friendly Summaries

Area of Science:

• Aphasiology
• Scientific Communication
• Accessibility Research

Background:

• Aphasiology research is often inaccessible to individuals with aphasia and their families.
• Over 150 years of research history remains largely uncommunicated in an understandable format.
• Bridging the gap between scientific findings and the affected community is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide researchers with a step-by-step guide for creating aphasia-friendly research summaries.
• To detail principles of accessible written communication, including plain language and visual aids.
• To introduce a prototype tool, Article Friend, for automated generation of accessible abstracts.

Main Methods:

• A tutorial outlining eight parts for creating aphasia-friendly summaries.
• Guidance on using plain language, icons, and images.
• Demonstration of freely available resources and the Article Friend tool.

Main Results:

• A practical framework for researchers to produce accessible summaries.
• Proof of concept for an efficient and sustainable method of research dissemination.
• Demonstration of a prototype tool to aid in abstract generation.

Conclusions:

• Accessible research summaries empower individuals with aphasia and their loved ones.
• The principles can extend to other communication and cognitive disorders like dementia and TBI.
• Enhanced accessibility fosters greater community engagement and collaboration between researchers and stakeholders.