Hope to see you in Cancún July 24-27 as the International Society for Augmentative and Alternative Communication (ISAAC) presents the 19th Biennial Conference: Communication Beyond Borders. PRC-Saltillo is proud to be a member of ISAAC as we work toward the vision of AAC being recognized, valued, and used throughout the world.
ISAAC Conference Cancún offers a robust scientific program, showcasing research and lived experiences that represent milestones in the field of AAC and that will move the field forward in both Latin America and globally. The conference also provides an opportunity to continue to build the international community of people who use AAC and their allies.
“We are excited to host a conference in our hemisphere, where leaders can come together - including people who use AAC - to expand knowledge, research and innovation ‘without borders’,” said Amy Goldman, President of ISAAC's US Chapter, USSAAC.
PRC-Saltillo is also pleased to sponsor the Bruce Baker AAC Globalization Initiative to honor Bruce’s legacy and contributions to the field of AAC. Bruce drew upon his knowledge as a linguist to develop Minspeak® in the 1980s, a system of encoding language through multi-meaning icons. He dedicated his career and life to serving individuals who communicate with AAC.
Advancements in technology, research, and clinical practice have made AAC accessible to millions of people across the globe. There is still work to be done. Through this initiative award, PRC-Saltillo provides funding to a chosen individual or team to develop vocabulary files, translate AAC systems, and create materials in languages in which AAC is under-represented. Upon completion, the vocabulary, instructions, and materials will be integrated into PRC-Saltillo AAC apps and/or devices and make them available in places where the language is spoken.
“It’s an honor to be associated with an award that pays tribute to an individual who has contributed so much to our field,” said Dave Hershberger, CEO of PRC-Saltillo. “I appreciate ISAAC’s leadership in establishing this honor to Mr. Baker. I am also very much looking forward to seeing members of the ISAAC community in person for the first time since ISAAC 2018 in Australia!”
View the recipients of the inaugural award in the video below.
The number and quality of proposals received for the 2022 award speak highly of the passion and expertise of the global AAC community. The review panel organized by ISAAC considered the strength of the proposal team, needs addressed, and clarity of proposed work. The winning team, made up of Haukei Lam, Ruiqi (Stephanie) Fan, and Yahui Lin, has extensive experience implementing high- and low-tech solutions for clients of all ages. Their project involves developing a family of Mandarin vocabularies for use in AAC systems to be completed in 2024.
Since the announcement of the winning team in August, the awardees have been collaborating with the PRC-Saltillo team to determine the tasks required for creating the Mandarin system, which components are currently available, and how the teams work together to create a complete system.
Moving forward, the Bruce Baker AAC Globalization Initiative will be awarded every two years to coincide with ISAAC Conferences. Look for information to come regarding the 2024 award application.
Register for ISAAC Cancun today and be sure to follow #ISAACcancun on Twitter for conference updates.