Fact · Accessibility and health
5 millionAmericans
ASHA cites a 2020 estimate by Beukelman and Light that about 5 million Americans may benefit from augmentative and alternative communication.
Checked against its source on October 16, 2026
In the source's own words
“Beukelman and Light (2020) estimated that approximately 5 million Americans and 97 million people in the world may benefit from AAC.”
Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC), American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, ASHA Practice Portal, n.d., Prevalence paragraph.
Open the original- What it measures
- ASHA states that it is difficult to estimate how many people use AAC, because needs vary widely, and it presents this as a rough estimate of people who may benefit.
- What it does not show
- An estimate of people who may benefit, not a count of AAC users. ASHA notes that the prevalence of AAC use is hard to pin down.