Queensland Aphasia Research Centre (QARC)
Optimising the lives of people with Aphasia
CommuniKey: a co-designed browser extension to unlock the internet for people with communication disability
The Bridging the Digital Divide research team have co-designed a software pack to make it easier for people with aphasia to use the internet.
Why develop a software pack?
The internet is used to access health care, support, and information.
Using the Internet requires language — reading, writing, and understanding. This can be difficult for people with aphasia.
The software pack has been successfully co-designed, developed, and evaluated with people with aphasia, family members, and health professionals.
Key outcomes of this research
The Bridging the Digital Divide project is now complete.
Together with people with aphasia, family members, and health professionals, we have co-designed a software pack:
- CommuniKey (Communication Key) - a web browser extension to make webpages aphasia-friendly. This can support people with aphasia to view, read and understand online information.
- Training materials to support people with aphasia, family members/carers and health professionals use and customise Communikey.
- Guidelines for designing communication accessible websites.
View an overview of the Bridging the Digital Divide outcomes. (PDF, 873.4 KB)
In November 2025, the Bridging the Digital Divide team held a celebration event to share outcomes with all involved. This included:
- Researchers
- Consumer advisors
- Participants
- Co-designers
- Health professionals
- Representative from partner organisations.
More details about each study are available in the presentations below.
- Research protocol (PDF, 628.5 KB)
- People with aphasia's experience of Internet use (PDF, 1.3 MB)
- Experiences and priorities for improving web accessibility (PDF, 561.2 KB)
What's next?
Led by Associate Professor Sarah Wallace, the team were recently successful in obtaining $50,000 funding from an auDA Community Grant. This funding will be used to support further evaluation and refinement of CommuniKey before it is made widely available for use.
Get involved - Test CommuniKey!
The next stage of the Bridging the Digital Divide project has started.
The auDA Foundation Community Grant Program funds this project.
We will test CommuniKey with eye tracking. Eye tracking shows where you look on the screen.
The University of Queensland ethics committee has approved this research (2026/HE011087).
You can take part if you:
- are an adult with aphasia
- can travel to the Queensland Aphasia Research Centre in Herston, Brisbane (we can give you a taxi voucher)
- can see without glasses (contact lenses are OK)
- have not been in a CommuniKey study before.
There are 2 sessions:
- 1 online meeting (up to 2 hours)
- 1 in-person session (up to 2 hours)
The in-person session is at the Queensland Aphasia Research Centre.
We are at the Surgical Treatment and Rehabilitation Service, Herston, Brisbane.
In the sessions, you will:
- wear eye-tracking glasses
- use CommuniKey to do some tasks
- talk to us about your experience.
We will pay you $50 per hour for your time.
You can choose a bank payment or a gift card.
We can also give you taxi or parking vouchers.
If you’d like to take part or hear more fill in this form:
Contact
For more information on this research project, contact Associate Professor Sarah Wallace:
Funding source
This project is funded by:
- 2021 Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) Consumer-Led Research Opportunity (Grant Number MRF2019367)
- 2022 UQ Foundation Research Excellence Award
- 2025 auDA Community Grant
Kirstine Shrubsole and Sarah J. Wallace are supported by National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Emerging Leadership Investigator Grants [2026816 and 2032983].
Publications
Lee, J., Worthy, P., Deslandes, R., Burton, B., Copland, D.A., Jamieson, P., Barron, K., Shrubsole, K., Togher, L., Hill, A.J., Wiles, J., Haslam, S.A., & Wallace, S.J. (2026). Co-design of a web accessibility browser extension for people with post-stroke aphasia: Understanding experiences and priorities in the first stage of an experience-based co-design study. BMC Digital Health, 4(1), 59. https://doi.org/10.1186/s44247-026-00289-2
Lee, J., Worthy, P., Deslandes, R., Burton, B., Copland, D.A., Jamieson, P., Barron, K., Togher, L., Shrubsole, K., Shiggins, C., Campbell, J.H., Hill, A.J., Wiles, J., Haslam, A. & Wallace, S.J. (2025). Bridging the digital divide for people with aphasia: A study protocol for co-designing web accessibility tools and guidelines. BMJ Open, 15: e099273. https://doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2025-099273
Partner organisations
We are grateful for the support of our partner organisations, Centre for Accessibility Australia, National Disability Insurance Agency, Services Australia, Australian Disability Network, Stroke Foundation, and the Australian Aphasia Association.
Research team
Chief investigators
- Associate Professor Sarah Wallace
- Dr Peter Worthy
- Professor David Copland
- Mr Phill Jamieson (research partner with aphasia)
- Mrs Kim Barron (research partner with aphasia)
- Professor Leanne Togher
- Dr Kirstine Shrubsole
- Associate Professor Annie Hill
- Professor Janet Wiles
- Professor Alex Haslam
Associate investigators
- Dr Lisa Anemaat
- Dr Claire Bennington
- Dr Scott Hollier
- Dr Megan Isaacs
- Dr Bec Jenkinson
Postdoctoral researchers
- Dr Jennifer Lee
Research assistants
- Ms Savita Datta
- Mr Ryan Deslandes
- Ms Pippa Evans
