2026 NWACS Fall Conference
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Conference Details
WHAT
Join us for the 2026 NWACS Virtual Fall Conference: AAC User Perspectives! This is a full-day conference focused on our theme of joy as resistance. You will not want to miss this opportunity for a day of learning that puts AAC voices front and center.
ABOUT
AAC communicators navigate a world that was not built with them in mind. What does joy look like for AAC communicators? What does real connection feel like? This is a conference that centers lived experience. It is built on the belief that joy and connection are not extras. They are the whole point.
Whether you are an AAC user, family member, clinician, educator, direct support professional, or other interested party, there is a place for you here. Join us for several AAC user-led sessions and be part of the conversation!
Session Descriptions and Learning Objectives
WHO
Everyone is welcome to attend (including AAC users, SLPs, Teachers, Parents/Guardians, Para-educators, OTs, Administrators, Related Service Providers – anyone with an interest)!
This will be an intermediate-level conference. Attendees should have a foundational knowledge of AAC and how it is used.
WHEN
Sunday, October 11, 2026 (full-day conference)
8:45 am – 4:15 pm Pacific Time (with a lunch break 12 – 1 pm)
Can’t make that day? Don’t worry! The conference will be recorded. The recording will be available for registered participants to watch through October 26, 2026. You must attend live to receive a certificate of attendance.
WHERE
Online (Zoom)
Registration
REGISTRATION FEE
Professionals: $90 + fees (eligible to receive a certificate of attendance)
Non-professionals: $45 + fees
Cancellation and Refund policy: Cancellation requests must be received on or before October 8, 2026. Cancellations received by this date will be refunded minus the Eventbrite fees. Transfers are welcome, just reach out to us so we can transfer your spot to the person you indicate. No refunds will be issued after October 8, 2026.
REGISTRATION LINK
Speakers
I am a peer counselor, coach, and mentor for AAC communicators.
I hold a master’s degree in Communication Studies, in which my research focused on cultural communication and on the autonomy, independence, and sense of self of people with significant mobility and communication differences. I currently work as a peer counselor for AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) communicators, supporting individuals in developing confidence, self-advocacy, and meaningful connections.
While I am not a licensed counselor, I draw from evidence-based approaches including Solution-Focused Brief Therapy, Narrative Therapy, humanistic frameworks, Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Relational-Cultural Theory. My approach is holistic and person-centered, supporting individuals socially, relationally, mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually.
In addition, I am a certified holistic wellness coach with training in transformational life coaching, mindfulness, mental wellness, and inner-child work, all grounded in a sociocultural lens that values identity, culture, and lived experience.
I founded AAC Peer Support: Empowering Individuals to Find Their Voice, a mentoring organization that supports AAC users through the principles of Self-Determination Theory. My work focuses on helping individuals cultivate autonomy, competence, connection, and lives rooted in their personal values and goals.
Disclosures: My disclosures include being an ambassador for PRC-Saltillo, being a part of the Leadership Coalition for AAC peer support project network, and private pay as a peer counselor, coach, and mentor for AAC communicators.
Chris Klein is a voice to those that have none and helping hand to those with disabilities, even though he was born with cerebral palsy and uses augmentative communication to help him interact with the rest of the world. Chris used his first augmentative communication device when he was 6 years old. This allowed him to be mainstreamed starting in third grade, and opened doors that nobody thought were achievable. He graduated from Hope College with a degree in Kinesiology, which is the study of body movement. He went to Western Theological Seminary to get a Master of Divinity degree. Chris has been speaking, preaching, and teaching for 27 years. Chris has spoken at churches, schools, universities, camps, businesses, etc. Chris has written My Big Toe to share the message of persevering to a wider audience. He would love to come speak at any event. He has just started a new 501c3 called Clay Vessels in AACtion.
Disclosures: none
Lance McLemore has been using AAC since 2009. He got his first high tech communication aid whilst in university. Since getting access to AAC, his world has greatly expanded. His current language system is LAMP Words for Life on an Accent 1000, which he received in 2016.
He graduated from the University of Alabama in Huntsville with a BA in studio art and philosophy. He still makes art in various media: drawing, painting, and fiber art. He currently works as an ambassador for the PRC-Saltillo and the Center for AAC and Autism. He attends AAC camps, workshops, conferences, schools, and universities to talk about and advocate for greater use and acceptance of AAC. His most important message is to remind people that the purpose of AAC is to make it easier to form relationships and increase inclusion in all spheres of life.
Disclosures: Ambassador for PRC-Saltillo and the Center for AAC and Autism, Training and Dissemination Team RERC on AAC, Board member ImpAACt Voices
Tracy Rackensperger, Ph.D. is a public service faculty member at the Center on Human Development and Disability (CHDD) within the David Ralston Institute on Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities, a University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD), at the University of Georgia (UGA). Dr. Rackensperger is the Employment Initiatives Coordinator and Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) Outreach Specialist for the Institute. In this role, she is the Co-Leader of Training and Dissemination for the Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center (RERC) on Augmentative and Alternative Communication. The RERC on AAC is a collaborative center dedicated to advancing knowledge and developing innovative engineering solutions in the field of AAC. The center supports a research and development program addressing three areas of rehabilitation science and engineering. Dr. Rackensperger has been involved in studies related to employment and telework as well as self-determination. She also serves as the UGA Principal Investigator for the Holographic Augmentative and Alternative Communication (HAAC) Library project. Finally, Dr. Rackensperger is an instructor in the Disabilities Studies Certificate program, where she teaches Directed Studies and graduate-level Introduction to Disability.
Disclosures: I’m a full-time salaried faculty member at the University of Georgia and indirectly receive a honoraria from the RERC on AAC.
David McNaughton, Ph.D. is a Professor in the Department of Educational Psychology, Counseling and Special Education at The Pennsylvania State University. He teaches classes on assistive technology, grant writing, and literacy instruction. His current research interests include literacy instruction for individuals who require AAC, the development of vocational opportunities for individuals with significant support needs, and the effective use of online instructional materials to support pre-service and in-service instruction.
Disclosures: The author’s research is funded by a grant from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR grant 90REGE0029) to the Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Augmentative and Alternative Communication (RERC on AAC). NIDILRR is a Center within the Administration for Community Living (ACL), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The author also receives funding support from the AAC Leadership Project Grant (2022-2027) funded by the U.S. Department of Education (H325D220021)
Hannah Springfield, BS, is a clinical research professional and collaborator with the Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center (RERC) on Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC). Through her work with the RERC and her role as a personal care aide for Dr. Tracy Rackensperger, Hannah has gained firsthand experience supporting communication across home, community, professional, and conference settings.
Her work focuses on providing the perspective of a communication partner and personal care aide, identifying practical strategies that facilitate successful AAC use as well as common barriers that can limit participation and independence. She is passionate about empowering caregivers with practical, person-centered approaches that foster communication, autonomy, and meaningful participation for AAC users.
Hannah earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology with an emphasis in Neuroscience from the University of Georgia and currently works as a Clinical Research Coordinator at the Medical College of Georgia. She facilitiates clinical studies in neurogastroenterology that evaluate innovative diagnostic tools and treatments to improve the diagnosis, management, and quality of care for individuals with gastrointestinal motility disorders. Hannah is passionate about improving access to high-quality, patient-centered care and advancing quality of life through research, education, and interdisciplinary collaboration.
Disclosures: none
Continuing Education
This conference offers the following continuing education credits (for those who register as a professional):
SLPs: This conference provides 5.75 hours of professional development which count toward the Certification Maintenance Hours required to maintain ASHA certification. Read more about how to count NWACS conference hours toward your professional development requirements.
WA School District Employees: This conference provides 5.75 OSPI CECH
Thank You, Donors!
The conference committee is busily working on procurement. Watch for more information!
Scholarship Fund
Our annual conference is for all stakeholders, including parents and providers. This educational event is to learn more about AAC so that we all can better support AAC users. We do not want financial hardship to keep anyone from being able to attend. You can help our Scholarship Fund with a small $5 – 10 donation. Thank you!
You may donate through PayPal by clicking the Donate to NWACS button at the bottom of the page, or by mailing a check to 3030 S. Findlay St., Seattle, WA 98108
