Welcome to NWACS! The Northwest Augmentative Communication Society (NWACS) is a nonprofit organization. Dr. David Beukelman helped form what is now known as NWACS in the 1970s. We run completely on volunteer power. Our focus is on educating and raising awareness about augmentative and alternative communication (AAC).
AAC is anything other than speech that a person uses to help them communicate. AAC benefits people of all ages when spoken language does not meet all their communication needs. Learn more about types of AAC HERE.
NWACS believes communication is a basic human right. The inclusion of AAC and AAC users is essential. We are always growing and learning about AAC. Our goal is for this website to be a valuable resource to our community - and welcome your input and feedback!
Click the images below for information on upcoming NWACS events:
Includes our virtual AAC+GLP Parent Meetup and virtual Study Buddies Meetings
Formerly Evening Seminars; virtual
In-person networking/social events
Our biggest event of the year: our virtual fall AAC conference
Explore our events calendar. Find upcoming NWACS Events, local AAC events, and big AAC / AT conferences.
2024 Theme: AAC and Literacy
Literacy is a frequently requested topic from our NWACS community. We are excited to spend this year learning about the Literacy Bill of Rights. And hear AAC user perspectives on learning to read and write and accessing literacy in their lives.
Check out our AAC & Literacy resource page for an overview of the Literacy Bill of Rights. You will also find a large collection of resources to explore related to literacy development and instruction for complex communicators and AAC users!
AAC and Literacy Related Blog Posts
As we explore the different literacy rights and AAC user perspectives, we plan to publish related blog posts. We will add related NWACS blog posts into a collection for easy access. This collection will grow throughout the year! Check back to see what's new.
