On May 13-14, 2024 the RERC on AAC and CommunicationFIRST co-hosted the Future of AAC Research Summit in Arlington, Virginia. The Summit brought together a group of 120 AAC users, academic researchers, federal funding agencies, developers, and service providers, with the goal of identifying new research priorities and supporting new collaborations. Summit presentations and discussions are part of an ongoing effort to ensure that
- the priorities and insights of AAC users drive the agenda for future AAC research; and
- future AAC research and technology development involves meaningful partnerships between people who use AAC and researchers / technology developers
In the coming months we will be sharing videos and print versions of Summit presentations. Links will be added below as materials are available.
Monday May 13, 2024
- Welcome and logistics
- Introductions
- RERC on AAC – Janice Light
- CommunicationFIRST – Jordyn Zimmerman
- Kickoff remarks
- Alison Barkoff, Acting ACL Administrator and the Assistant Secretary for Aging
- Disability inclusivity and representation in research
- Anjali Forber-Pratt, Director of the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR) (video and readings)
- How ableism impacts people who need and use AAC
- Lateef McLeod (video and readings)
- Alice Wong (video and readings)
- Power of partnerships between researchers and people who use AAC
- David Chapple, Lance McLemore, David McNaughton, & Tracy Rackensperger
THE FUTURE OF TECHNOLOGY AND THE FUTURE OF AAC
- AAC & technology: What’s communication equity got to do with it?
- Bob Williams
- Future of AAC technologies: Priorities for inclusive research and implementation
- Kevin Williams & Christine Holyfield
- Aug Comm: Learning from the past – Predicting the future
- Gregg Vanderheiden
REDUCING SOCIAL ISOLATION FOR PEOPLE WHO USE AAC: DISMANTLING OPPORTUNITY AND ACCESS BARRIERS IN SOCIETY
- Perspectives and priorities of people who use AAC
- Grant Blasko
- Melissa Crisp-Cooper
- Ren Koloni
- Coleman Watson
- Dismantling societal barriers that limit people who use AAC: State of the science, emerging technologies, and future research directions
- Janice Light, Susan Fager, Jessica Gormley, Glenda Watson-Hyatt, Erik Jakobs, & David McNaughton
INCREASING MEANINGFUL PARTICIPATION IN SOCIETY FOR PEOPLE WHO USE AAC
- Perspectives and priorities of people who use AAC
- Godfrey Nazareth
- endever* corbin
- AAC to increase meaningful participation in society: State of the science, emerging technologies, and future research directions
- David McNaughton, Tracy Rackensperger, & Lance McLemore
Tuesday May 14, 2024
PEOPLE WHO NEED AAC WHO ARE LEARNING LANGUAGE AND LITERACY
- Perspectives and priorities of people who use AAC
- Bob Williams (Video and readings)
- Jordyn Zimmerman
- Supporting people who need and use AAC in learning language and literacy: State of the science, emerging technologies, and future research directions
- Christine Holyfield, Janice Light, David McNaughton, Dana Neider, & Jamie Preece
“ALTERNATIVE” WAYS TO ACCESS AAC TECHNOLOGIES
- Perspectives and priorities of people who use AAC
- Tim Jin (Video and readings)
- Pancho Ramirez (Video and readings)
- Patrick Regan (Video and readings)
- Alternative Access: State of the science, emerging technologies, and future research priorities
- Heidi Koester, Susan Fager, Jessica Gormley, Erik Jakobs, Jon Brumberg, & Kelli Johnsen
- The impact of ableism and the importance of partnerships with people who use AAC
- India Ochs
ROUND TABLE DISCUSSIONS OF FUTURE RESEARCH PRIORITIES
PERSPECTIVES OF PEOPLE WHO USE AAC
THE FUTURE OF AAC RESEARCH
