There is much to learn about normal communication by investigating how it changes and degrades under conditions of stress, and how people and aids compensate. Persons with disabilities (motoric, cognitive, perceptual, other) can provide us with invaluable data: they are often highly motivated to communicate, despite frequent disruptions and failures. Text-oriented, computer-based communication aids may significantly help persons whose deficits are essentially motoric (e.g., persons with ALS, CP MS, etc.), but persons with aphasia -- central language processing deficits due to brain damage -- require conceptually new approaches, based on graphic rather than textual composition. Lingraphica represents an attempt to address the communicative needs of persons with aphasia: it is a graphically oriented, iconic computer-based communication assistive device which has been designed for use with aphasic individuals. In this presentation, the speaker will provide background on the development of Lingraphica, describe novel features which distinguish the system, survey clinical studies on the utility of these innovations, interactively demonstrate the system while describing its operation, and suggest implications of the work for understanding (and improving) communication with other populations.