Each October is International AAC Awareness Month. The goal is to raise awareness of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) and to inform the public about the many different ways in which people communicate using AAC.
USSAAC invites you to celebrate with us and help increase awareness. We hope the content on this page will facilitate your efforts to celebrate, educate, and spread the word in your community, not just in October, but all year.
Why USSAAC 2020
International AAC Awareness Month is celebrated around the world each October. The goal is to raise awareness of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) and to inform the public about the many different ways in which people communicate using communication devices.
Lateef McLeod
Why USSAAC 2020 Lateef McLeod — YouTube Video
Lateef McLeod is a poet, blogger, activist, and scholar; he is working on a Ph.D. in the Anthropology and Social Change program at the California Institute for Integral Studies. His first book of poetry, A Declaration Of A Body Of Love (2010), chronicles life as a black man with a disability and tackling various topics on family, dating, religion, spirituality, his national heritage, and sexuality. He currently is writing a novel titled The Third Eye Is Crying and also another poetry book entitled Whispers of Krip Love, Shouts of Krip Revolution.
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Why USAAC2020: Amy Sonntag — YouTube Video
Amy Sonntag is a speech-language pathologist and clinical professor at The Ohio State University. She is also the co-director of the language assistive technology and Autism Research Lab. She has a passion for AAC and loves to share it with her students and clients who have complex communication needs. Find out why she’s a member of USSAAC!
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Why USSAAC 2020 Ana Berlowitz — YouTube Video
Meet Ana Berlowitz! She lives in San Francisco, loves dogs and the color pink! In her book, Cerebral Scenes: My Life and Other Natural Disasters, Ana reflects on her life and the lessons learned. Find out why she’s been a member of USSAAC for over 20 years!
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Why USSAAC 2020: Melanie Fried-Oken — YouTube Video
Melanie Fried-Oken, Ph.D., CCC-SLP is a certified speech-language pathologist and a leading international clinician and researcher in the field of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) where she provides expertise about assistive technology for persons with acquired disabilities who cannot use speech or writing for expression. Here she shares why she is a member of USSAAC and what she is looking forward to in 2021!
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Working with People with Complex Communication Needs
Handout created by Tracy Rackensperger, Ph.D. for the 2020 National Disability Rights Network Conference.
Working with People with Complex Communication Needs Handout
AAC Awareness Backgrounds
USSAAC Background (2) — download
AAC Awareness Buttons
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AAC Awareness Cards
Please note that the Accessibility Includes Communication symbol was developed by Communication Disabilities Access Canada (CDAC) and is used with their permission. More information about what the symbol means, how it should be used, and a version to download can be found on the CDAC Symbol Page.
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