If you’ve seen Minions & Monsters, you already know Ed. He’s chaotic, expressive, and communicates using American Sign Language while the rest of the Minions babble away in Minionese. It’s a small creative choice that carries a lot of weight. In a franchise watched by millions of kids and families around the world, seeing a character who communicates differently โ and who is never defined by it โ is the kind of representation that actually matters.
It got us thinking. If Ed used an AAC device, what would his board look like?
A Little Background on AAC
Augmentative and Alternative Communication, or AAC, refers to the tools and strategies that help people who have difficulty with spoken communication express themselves. This includes picture-based symbol boards, speech generating devices, and eye gaze technology like the devices we make at EyeTech. AAC is used by people with a wide range of conditions including ALS, cerebral palsy, autism, and acquired brain injuries, among others.
A well-designed AAC board isn’t just a list of words. It’s a window into someone’s world. The symbols on it reflect their personality, their needs, their humor, and the things that matter most to them.
So naturally, we designed one for Ed.
Ed’s AAC Board
We kept it true to who he is. Here’s what we think would make the cut:
Banana. Bello. More. Help. Yes. No. Friend. Fun. Scared. Excited. Monster. Movie. Chaos. Eat. Sleep. Again. Together. Loud. Happy. Run.
Some of these are practical. Some of them are very Ed. That’s the point. A good AAC board reflects the whole person, not just their basic needs.
Why This Matters Beyond the Movies
Ed is fictional, but the people who use AAC devices are not. There are millions of individuals who rely on some form of alternative communication every single day, and for many of them, being seen in mainstream culture the way Ed is seen in Minions & Monsters is not something they take for granted.
At EyeTech, we build eye gaze devices that allow people to communicate using only their eye movements. For someone who cannot use their hands or voice, that technology is everything. It’s how they tell someone they’re in pain, how they say I love you, how they make a joke, how they advocate for themselves.
Ed signs. Some people use picture boards. Some people use their eyes. Communication looks different for everyone and every form of it is valid.
Check Out Our Devices
If you or someone you know could benefit from eye gaze technology, we’d love to connect. Visit us at eyetechds.com to learn more about what our devices can do and who they’re built for.
And if you haven’t seen Minions & Monsters yet, go watch Ed. You’ll get it.
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