Jellow AAC Communicator

Jellow Basic Communicator is a freely downloadable friendly Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) system that uses icons/images to enable aid communication in people learning to speak or with difficulty with speech and language.

Website: https://jellow.org/jellow-basic.php

Type of Digital Public Good

  • ✅  Open content
  • Open data
  • ✅  Open software
  • Open standard
  • Open AI model

1. Is it relevant to one of the Sustainable Development Goals?

2. Does it use an appropriate open license?

Yes, this project is licensed under the following license(s):

3. Is ownership clearly defined?

Is the ownership of the project and everything that the project produces clearly defined and documented?

Yes

If yes - please link to the relevant copyright, trademarks, or ownership documentation for the project.

https://github.com/jellow-aac/jellow-communicator-android/blob/master/LICENSE.txt

4. Does the license of libraries/dependencies undermine the openess of the project?

Does this open project have mandatory dependencies (i.e. libraries, hardware) that create more restrictions than the original license?

Yes

If yes - are the open source components able to demonstrate independence from the closed component(s) and/or are there functional, open alternatives?

Yes

If yes - please describe how the open source components are independent and/or list the open alternatives for the closed component:

Jellow AAC Communicator uses a Google TTS engine, a closed source component due to the superior and satisfactory performance it offers especially with the Indian language and voices. One of the open source TTS engines available for the Indian language is Hear2read (https://hear2read.org/) which we've tried recently.
The core app function is to provide speech therapy, and speech training to children with disabilities using intuitive icons. There are also a few secondary services (especially Google dependencies) that maybe inside the app or used for internal developer analysis . None of these services are part of the core app features. The secondary services include:
- Analytics: This dependency collects user non-PII app usages such as mostly used screen and most used category icons. These analytics data are not mandatory to the app's core function.
- Database: The Firebase real-time DB service stores the non-PII user's first language selection, registration date, app version code, user feedback, and screen usage time only. These data points are again not mandatory to the app's core function.
-Auth: To make the above-mentioned data write protect the auth service is incorporated. If the database part is not considered mandatory then this auth service is eliminated automatically.
-Notification: The notification service to date is only configured to notify users about new version availability. This too does not relate to the core function of the app.
- Storage: The storage service stores language content for the app. This language content can be moved to other storage spaces like Github or another storage hosting with little changes.

5. Is there documentation?

Does some documentation exist of the source code, use cases, and/or functional requirements. For software projects, this should be present as technical documentation that would allow a technical person unfamiliar with the project to launch and run the software. For datasets and data projects, this should be present as documentation that describes all the fields in the set, and provides context on how the data was collected and how it should be interpreted. For content collections, this should indicate any relevant compatible apps, software, hardware required to access the content and any instructions about how to use it.

Yes

If yes - please link to the relevant documentation:

6. Is non PII data and/or content accessible?

Does this project collect or use non-personally identifiable information (non-PII) data and/or content?

Yes

If yes - is there a mechanism for extracting or importing non-personally identifiable information (non-PII) from the system in a non-proprietary format?

Yes

If yes - describe the mechanism for extracting or importing non-personally identifiable information from the system in a non-proprietary format:

The data can be shared in CSV format. Also, in some special cases, we'll provide read-only access to the dashboard.

7. Does the project adhere to privacy and other applicable international and domestic laws?

Has this project taken steps to ensure adherence with relevant privacy, domestic, and international laws? For example, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in the European Union or the Supplementary Act A/SA.1/01/10 on Personal Data Protection for the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) (yes/no)

Yes

If yes, please list some of relevant laws that the project complies with:

If yes, please describe the steps this project has taken to ensure adherence (include links to terms of service, privacy policy, or other relevant documentation):

8. Does the project adhere to standards and best practices?

Does this project support standards? (i.e. Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 or other standards such as those listed on W3C)

Yes

Which standards does this project support (please list)

  • The app requires a large number of icons, text, audio data for its basic usage. All the icons are designed and created in-house and exported in PNG format to make them compatible across different platforms.
  • Also, to store/retrieve the text data, JSON notation is used.
  • The audio used in the Jellow App has a .mp3 extension.
  • Apart from this, the web version is built on top of HTML, CSS technologies.
  • Also, uses SSL, UTF-8 at the back end and website.
  • On all the platforms, the application has added accessibility support as it is mainly designed for special children. As per my understanding, it closely follows https://www.w3.org/WAI/standards-guidelines/wcag/ and Android, iOS platforms accessibility guidelines.

Can you point to evidence of your support? (i.e. please link to your validator, open test suite, etc.)

Was this project built and developed according to or in adherence with any design, technical and/or sector best practices or principles? i.e. the Principles for Digital Development?

Yes

Which principles and best practices does this project support (please list)

9. Does the project do no harm by design?

Has this project taken steps to anticipate, prevent and do no harm by design?

On the whole, does this project take steps to ensure that it anticipates, prevents and does no harm by design?

Yes

Is there any additional information you would like to share about the mechanisms, processes or policies that this project uses to avoid doing harm by design?

The Jellow team very strongly considers privacy concerns henceforth the app design is in such a way it does not require the user's PII.

9.a. Data Privacy & Security

Does this project collect or store personally identifiable information (PII) data and/or content?

No

If yes - please list the types of data and/or content collected and/or stored by the project:

Not Applicable

If yes - does this project share this data and/or content with third parties?

No

Please describe the circumstances with which this project shares data and/or content with third parties. Please add links as relevant.

Not Applicable

If yes - does the project ensure the privacy, security and integrity of this data and/or content collection and has it taken steps to prevent adverse impacts resulting from its collection, storage and distribution.

Yes

If yes - please describe the steps, and include a link to the privacy policy and/or terms of service:

The Jellow team very strongly considers privacy concerns henceforth the app design is in such a way it does not require the user's PII. The Application does not push any PII to the backend server during its usage. All user's PII data stays on their device only

9.b. Inappropriate & Illegal Content

Does this project collect, store or distribute content?

No

If yes - what kinds of content does this project, collect, store or distribute? (i.e. childrens books)

Not Applicable

If yes - does this project have policies that describe what is considered innappropriate content? (i.e. child sexual abuse materials)

Not Applicable

If yes - please link to the relevant policy/guidelines/documentation.

Not Applicable

If yes - does this project have policies and processes for detecting and moderating innappropriate/illegal content?

Not Applicable

If yes - please describe the policies and processes for detecting, reporting and removing innapropriate/illegal content (Please include the average response time for assessment and/or action. Link to any policies or descriptions of how inappropriate content is handled):

Not Applicable

9.c. Protection from harassment

Does this project facilitate interactions with or between users or contributors?

No

If yes - does the project take steps to address the safety and security of underage users?

Not Applicable

If yes - please describe the steps this project takes to address risk or prevent access by underage users:

Not Applicable

If yes - does the project help users and contributors protect themselves against grief, abuse, and harassment?

Not Applicable

If yes - please describe the steps taken to help users protect themselves.

Not Applicable

Development & deployment countries

List of countries this project was developed in.

  • India

List of countries this project is actively deployed in.

  • Bangladesh
  • Sri Lanka
  • Nepal
  • Bhutan
  • United States of America
  • United Kingdom
  • Canada
  • Singapore