Terms of Service

These Terms of Service govern your use of AssistBernice, an augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) and family communication tool. By using AssistBernice, you agree to these terms.

If you do not agree to these terms, please do not use AssistBernice.

What AssistBernice is

AssistBernice is a software application that helps people with expressive aphasia or other communication challenges express themselves using a symbol and phrase board, text-to-speech, custom tiles, and family messaging tools.

AssistBernice is a communication aid, not a medical device. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any health condition. It does not replace speech-language therapy, medical advice, or any clinical intervention.

Eligibility

AssistBernice may be used by anyone. Caregivers, family members, and speech-language pathologists may use it on behalf of individuals in their care. If you are using AssistBernice with a person who cannot agree to these terms themselves, you agree to these terms on their behalf and take responsibility for appropriate use.

Your use of the service

You agree to:

Use AssistBernice only for lawful purposes
Not send unsolicited or abusive messages through the family messaging feature
Keep any API keys (Resend, Twilio) that you configure secure and not share them publicly
Take responsibility for the content of messages sent through AssistBernice

You agree not to:

Use AssistBernice to harass, threaten, or harm others
Attempt to reverse-engineer, decompile, or extract source code beyond what is publicly available
Use the service in any way that damages or disrupts its availability

Your data is yours

All data you enter into AssistBernice — profiles, phrases, messages, photos, and settings — is stored on your device. You own this data. We do not claim any rights over it.

Because data lives on your device, we cannot recover it if you clear your browser storage. We are not liable for any data loss that results from browser storage clearing, device failure, or other local causes.

Third-party services

When you use the family messaging or email digest features, your message content is transmitted to third-party delivery services (Resend for email, Twilio for SMS). By using these features, you agree to the applicable terms of those services:

AssistBernice is not responsible for the actions, performance, or policies of these third-party providers.

Healthcare and HIPAA

AssistBernice is not HIPAA-compliant and is not a covered entity or business associate under HIPAA.

AssistBernice is designed for personal and family use. It is not intended for use in clinical settings, hospital systems, or any context where Protected Health Information (PHI) must be handled in compliance with HIPAA or other healthcare privacy regulations.

Healthcare providers and covered entities must not use AssistBernice to handle patient PHI unless they have separately verified compliance for their specific deployment and obtained appropriate legal and compliance review.

No warranty

AssistBernice is provided "as is" and "as available" without any warranties of any kind, either express or implied. We make no warranty that:

The service will be uninterrupted, timely, or error-free
Any defects will be corrected
The service or its servers are free of harmful components
The service will meet your specific requirements

Use of AssistBernice is at your own risk. Because this is a communication tool used by people in vulnerable situations, we strongly encourage you to maintain backup communication methods.

Limitation of liability

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, AssistBernice and its creator shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, including but not limited to loss of data, loss of communication ability, or any other damages arising out of or in connection with your use of AssistBernice.

Our total liability to you for any claim arising out of or related to these terms or your use of AssistBernice shall not exceed the amount you paid for the service in the twelve months preceding the claim. If you used AssistBernice at no charge, our liability is limited to zero dollars.

Changes to the service and these terms

We may modify AssistBernice or these terms at any time. We will update the effective date at the top of this page when we make material changes. Continued use of AssistBernice after a change constitutes your acceptance of the revised terms.

Governing law

These terms are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the United States. Any disputes will be resolved through good-faith negotiation first. If negotiation fails, disputes will be submitted to binding arbitration under the American Arbitration Association rules, unless prohibited by applicable law.

Contact

Questions about these terms? Reach us at [email protected].