🚀 Getting Started with Zip EasySpeak

Welcome to your new AAC dashboard! This guide will help you set up and start communicating in minutes.

Access Easy Speech by visiting https://easyspeak.zipsolutions.org

1. The Basics: Speaking

Zip EasySpeak has two ways to talk. You can change this in Settings.

Mode A: Direct Speech (Default)

• How it works: Simply tap a button (like "Apple"), and the device speaks "Apple" immediately.

• Best for: Beginning communicators or quick requests.

Mode B: Sentence Builder

• How it works:

  1. Tap words to build a sentence (e.g., I + Want + Cookie).

  2. Words appear in the Sentence Strip at the top.

  3. Tap the Play (▶️) button to speak the whole sentence at once.

• Enable it: Go to Settings (⚙️) > Interaction Mode > Sentence Builder.

2. Customizing Your Board

To make changes, you need to enter Edit Mode.

🔓 Unlocking the Board

1. Click the Lock Icon (🔒) in the bottom sidebar.

2. If an Admin PIN is set, enter it now. If not, it unlocks immediately.

3. You will see Pencil Icons appear on tiles and "Add" buttons appear in the grid.

➕ Adding a New Button

1. Click the large "Add Button" square in the grid.

2. A new "White" button will appear.

3. Click the Pencil Icon on that new button to configure it.

✏️ Editing a Button

1. Label: What is written on the button.

2. Phrase: What the device actually speaks (e.g., Label: "TV", Phrase: "I want to watch TV").

3. Image:

   • Emoji: Type an emoji directly.

   • Image Search: Click the Magnifying Glass (🔍) to search thousands of symbols. Click an image to select it.

4. Color: Choose a background color (Yellow for people, Green for actions, Orange for nouns).

5. Link to Page: (Advanced) Make this button open another page automatically when clicked.

3. Organizing Pages

Pages allow you to organize words by category (e.g., Food, Feelings, School).

• Switch Pages: Tap the icons in the Left Sidebar.

• Add Page: Unlock the board and click "Add Page" in the sidebar.

• Edit Page: Unlock the board, select the page you want to change, and click the Pencil Icon next to the page title at the top of the screen.

4. Settings & Accessibility

Click the Gear Icon (⚙️) to open the Settings menu.

• Voice: Change the speaking voice, speed (rate), and pitch.

• Grid Size: Make buttons larger (2 columns) or smaller (8 columns) to fit the user's motor skills.

• Offline Mode: Toggle "Offline Voices Only" if you don't have internet access.

• Security: Set an Admin PIN to prevent students from accidentally deleting buttons.

5. Saving & Sharing (Important!)

Zip EasySpeak runs in your browser, so your data is saved on your device. To keep it safe or move it to another iPad/Laptop:

1. Go to Settings > Data & Storage.

2. Backup Full: Downloads a .json file with everything (pages, buttons, images, settings).

3. Restore: Upload a backup file to replace your current board.

4. Import Page (Merge): Upload a file to add pages to your current board without deleting what you already have.