Message from the Board

Reflections on 2025 and Vision for 2026

December 20, 2025

Hello friends, members, families, AAC users, and community partners,

First of all, thank you for making 2025 another successful year for NWACS! We were so happy to have reached a record number of online participants through our annual conference. We are excited that we welcomed more AAC users to our board. (If you are interested, there are still open positions!) And we were thrilled to highlight representation of AAC users in the media. We also proudly spoke out against ableism (discrimination against disabled people) and directed people to resources about how to stay safe during increasing uncertainty.

As we look toward a new year, we know that many AAC users are facing bigger and bigger challenges. Costs are going up. Benefits are being cut. Services are harder to find. Ableism and discrimination aren’t going anywhere. Many people feel more alone than ever.

But there is hope. We can face these challenges together. NWACS chose our 2026 theme of Joy and Connection because when we build strong relationships, we become stronger ourselves.

Research shows that friendship and connection protect our health. People who feel supported are happier and healthier. They recover faster from illness and live longer lives.

The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) both say that connection is a key part of public health. 

Disabled people, including those who use AAC, often face more loneliness and fewer chances to connect. But studies show that being part of a caring community helps. Friendships, peer support, and social participation improve wellbeing and confidence. Joy is resistance to a society that devalues disabled people.

For AAC users, connection is more than a nice idea. It is essential for communication, learning, and belonging. It protects and enriches everyone. Inclusion is powerful for all involved. It promotes resilience and growth. 

There are many ways to support joy and build connection, so we will feature a few throughout the year, including:

  • New Year, New Connections 
  • Friendships, relationships, and AAC
  • AAC and play
  • AAC and inclusion

And more!

We will also release our new and improved website that is fully accessible. This will ensure the information we provide will be available to everyone. 

The coming year will not be easy. But we are not alone. We will stay committed to our mission and values: Inclusion, Innovation, Integrity, Education, and Equity. We will promote connection over isolation and curiosity over fear. Through joy and connection, we will help build a stronger, more loving community for everyone.

Thank you for being part of NWACS and for helping bring joy and connection to our small but fierce organization!

With gratitude and hope, always hope,

Jo Ristow

President, NWACS

Previous Annual Messages

Reflections on 2024 and Vision for 2025

As we wrap up another amazing year at the Northwest Augmentative Communication Society (NWACS), I am excited and grateful to step into the role of Board President. This past year has shown how strong, creative, and dedicated our community is. I am honored to share what we have achieved and our hopes for the year ahead.

2024: A Year of Growth and Connection

One of our biggest successes this year was expanding our online presence. Through our website, webinars, social media, and community events, we worked to increase awareness of and access to AAC. More people visited our website than ever before, especially our new “For Parents” page and our popular blog series, “Let’s Talk AAC.”

Our social media presence also helped us reach more people and bring different voices into the conversation. Our AAC Family Facebook group doubled in size. We invited AAC users, parents, teachers, and therapists to collaborate in our AAC Learning Network (ALN) webinar series. This led to us producing four of our five most-watched YouTube videos in 2024, all on the topic of AAC and literacy. Our monthly virtual groups, like NWACS Study Buddies and Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) + Gestalt Language Processors (GLP) Caregiver meetup, also helped connect our community.

Looking Ahead

As we move into 2025, we want to keep this momentum going. We know that change and uncertainty can be challenging. We will stay committed to our mission and values:

  • inclusion,
  • innovation,
  • integrity,
  • education, and
  • equity.

As we discuss important topics that have different perspectives, we recognize that disagreements may happen. That’s to be expected. How we respond and grow from these moments is what matters most. We want to continue to grow.

To reach our goals, we need your support. Whether you volunteer, donate, or simply spread the word about NWACS, you play a key role in our mission.

Thank you for being part of our journey. Together, we are addressing barriers, building connections, and changing lives through communication. I look forward to serving as your Board President and to all we will accomplish in the coming year.

Wishing you a happy and inspiring 2025!

Jo Ristow (NWACS President)

Reflections on 2023 and Vision for 2024

2024 Vision

Our mission to raise awareness of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) and improve access to assistive technology for people with communication disabilities remains at the forefront of our efforts. We recognize that communication barriers extend beyond borders, and our commitment to creating a more inclusive world knows no bounds. Therefore, we are actively working to extend our influence, creating more accessible content, and advocating for the rights of those who face communication challenges.

As we embark on this expansion, NWACS reaffirms its dedication to the values of Inclusion, Innovation, Integrity, Education, and Equity. Representation matters, and we are committed to ensuring that our board and community reflect the rich diversity of the individuals we serve. We understand that diverse voices and perspectives are essential in shaping our mission and achieving our goals. We believe that by valuing and amplifying diverse voices, we can enhance the effectiveness and impact of our advocacy for communication rights.

As the close of a year and start of a new year often brings reflection, we want to take some time to express gratitude to our growing NWACS community. Whether you’re:

  • a parent
  • an AAC user
  • a teacher
  • an SLP
  • an OT
  • a volunteer
  • a related professional
  • a caregiver
  • and/or a board member

This community exists and grows because of you. The insight, the experiences, the lenses, the knowledge and wisdom that each of you bring are invaluable. We are incredibly grateful for the many connections we have made this year. We learn something from each conversation and we deeply appreciate the support our community provides. This year NWACS has been particularly excited to see how our AAC user, parent, and caregiver engagement has grown. We have enjoyed learning about your experiences and hearing your perspectives.

On behalf of the NWACS Board, we look forward to the opportunities and challenges that 2024 will bring as we strive to make our community more inclusive and accessible. Thank you for being an essential part of the NWACS collective. 

Warm Regards,

Kelly Kuehl (NWACS President)

2023 Reflections

2023 Projects – We added several new resources to the website:

2023 Events

  • We held seven virtual Evening Seminars
  • We held two in-person NAACHO meetups
  • We spent the day with Kate Ahern at the 2023 NWACS Virtual Fall Conference in October
  • We held five Outreach events
    • In November, we launched a new monthly parent meetup: AAC + GLP virtual meetings

Blog – We published 20 new articles on the NWACS blog in 2023!

Newsletter – We sent monthly newsletters to keep our subscribers informed about NWACS events, resources, and other updates. Not receiving these? Scroll down and Subscribe to our Mailing List!

2024 Announcements

  • The NWACS Evening Seminars will continue in 2024 with a new name: AAC Learning Networks! Stay tuned for more information.
  • Our theme for 2024 is: AAC and Literacy. We will spend the 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. Don’t forget to follow along on the NWACS blog and our social media pages!
  • We will be launching a new monthly meeting: Study Buddies! Study Buddies is a virtual study group to explore resources on the NWACS website (3rd Monday of the month starting in January 2024). Read more about this new monthly event on the Outreach Committee page.

Look for our annual survey in the near future. That is your opportunity to shape the direction of NWACS. You can also send us an email (info@nwacs.info) to share your feedback and input. 

Reflections on 2022 and Vision for 2023

Happy New Year! Join us as we reflect on all we accomplished this past year and help us visualize the future for NWACS.

2022 Reflections

Another challenging year is in the books. NWACS continued to grow and move forward throughout this past year. Thank you for partnering with us – whether by

  • following and interacting with our social media channels,
  • subscribing to and reading our email blasts and newsletters,
  • reading our blog,
  • accessing our website,
  • volunteering,
  • and/or attending any of our events!

We look forward to continuing to build our NWACS community with you in 2023.

2022 Updates

2022 Projects – We added several new resources to our website:

2022 Events

  • We held six virtual AAC Information Nights for Caregivers (learn more and access the recordings)
  • We held seven virtual Evening Seminars (access recordings)
  • We held eight virtual NWACS Volunteer Meetings
  • We spent the day with Chris Bugaj and Rachel Madel (both SLPs and co-hosts of the Talking With Tech podcast) at the 2022 NWACS Virtual Fall Conference in October

We explored the Communication Bill of Rights, our theme for 2022.

We launched our Instagram account!

Blog – We published 43 new articles on the NWACS blog in 2022!

Newsletter – We sent monthly newsletters to keep our subscribers informed about NWACS events, resources, and other updates. Not receiving these? Scroll down and Subscribe to our Mailing List!

2023 Vision

We are happy to announce that we are starting the new year with a new NWACS President! Kelly has been on the NWACS board in the role of Secretary for the past two years. She has now stepped into the role of NWACS President. She is taking the helm as we begin strategic planning and prioritizing projects and goals for the coming year. Look for our annual survey in the near future. That is your opportunity to shape the direction of NWACS. You can also send us an email (info@nwacs.info) to share your feedback and input.

INTENTIONS

  • While we gained some amazing additions to the NWACS board in 2022, we continue to seek volunteers to fill open board positions and for our volunteer roster to help with projects throughout the year. AAC users, BIPOC, and other minoritized people are especially encouraged to consider getting involved. Check out our Get Involved with NWACS page.
  • Virtual NWACS Evening Seminars will continue in 2023! Look for more information to come.
  • With new board member Adam stepping into the role of NAACHO Coordinator, we are looking forward to adding NAACHO events to our line-up in 2023! Look for more information to come.
  • We envision continuing to expand our outreach through our website, blog, newsletter, and events.
  • We have been working on a big project: an AAC Provider Directory for the state of Washington! Our goal is to publish this resource soon.
  • Our theme for 2023 is: AAC Across the Lifespan. We will spend the year learning about AAC for six age groups:
    • Birth to 3 years (Early Intervention)
    • 3 – 5 years (Preschool)
    • School Age
    • Adolescents
    • Adults with Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities
    • Adults with Acquired Communication Impairments
  • Our 2023 Annual Fall Conference will be virtual. Date, speaker, and topic to be determined! Look for more information to come.

We look forward to connecting with you in 2023!

Reflections on 2021 and Vision for 2022

Happy New Year! We hope this finds you well. As 2021 came to a close, we spent time reflecting and envisioning the future of NWACS.

2021 Reflections

As we said last January, this past year has been unprecedented…for the world. Again, we all did hard things. Like you, NWACS continued to move forward in 2021. We hope you gained new information and new connections through NWACS. That is our goal: helping all of us gain more information so that our AAC users become more efficient communicators and enjoy a better quality of life.

2021 Updates

We had a busy and productive year!

2021 Projects

2021 Events

  • We held five virtual AAC Information Nights for Caregivers (learn more and access the recordings)
  • We held four Volunteer Meetups
  • The 2021 NWACS Annual Fall Conference was virtual
  • We had a Post-Conference Huddle to review key ideas from the conference

We regularly sent eNewsletters to keep everyone up-to-date with important events and information related to what NWACS is doing!

2022 Vision

INTENTIONS

  • We are actively seeking AAC users, BIPOC, and other minority people to participate in NWACS. Check out our Get Involved with NWACS page.
  • We are continuing to expand outreach to families and caregivers of AAC users through our virtual AAC Information Nights for Caregivers, our website, and blog.
  • We are exploring once again offering Evening Seminars! (If you have been with us for awhile, you may remember the fun discussions we had at Seattle Children’s back in the day.) Look for more information to come.
  • Our theme for 2022 is: The Communication Bill of Rights. We will spend the year learning about the different rights in this document and how they empower our AAC users!
  • We envision increased involvement of AAC users and caregivers in our Evening Seminars, blog, and other outreach activities.
  • Our 2022 Annual Fall Conference will be virtual. Date, speaker, and topic TBD!

We look forward to connecting with you in 2022!

Reflections on 2020 and Vision for 2021

Season’s greetings to you all! At the close of 2020 and the dawn of 2021, we want to share our reflections from this past year and our intentions for the upcoming year.

2020 Reflections

This year has been… unprecedented. For the world. (Anyone else want to ban that word from 2021??) We all did hard things this year. Thank you for spending part of your time, energy, and effort with us ~ whether through our social media channels, email blasts, blog, website, and/or Annual Fall Conference! We look forward to sharing more with you in 2021. Read on for an overview of what we did in 2020 (there are several new things to check out!) and a preview of NWACS in 2021.

2020 Updates

NWACS experienced growth this year! We welcomed new board members, formed new committees, and went 100% virtual for our fall conference! We also had a lot of volunteers really step up to help achieve projects and events.

Other Changes in 2020:

  • Our Annual Fall Conference was virtual!
  • NWACS now has a YouTube Channel!
  • We have been developing our website! In addition to some behind-the-curtain/organizational updates, we also have new webpages and new content.

Recommitment

We updated and clarified our Mission, Vision, and Values.

2021 Forecasting

  • Our 2021 Annual Fall Conference will be virtual. Date, speaker, and topic TBD!
  • Our Outreach/Special Projects Coordinator Margaret plans to host more events! Subscribe to our email list (bottom of this page) and/or keep an eye on the Outreach Committee landing page for up-to-date information.
  • Our Volunteer Coordinator Julia plans to host meetups at least once per quarter! Subscribe to our email list (bottom of this page) and/or keep an eye on the Volunteer with NWACS landing page for up-to-date information.
  • Our Social Media Coordinator Carrie is hoping to plan some NAACHO events for 2021! Subscribe to our email list (bottom of this page) and/or keep an eye on the NAACHO landing page for up-to-date information.

INTENTIONS

OUTREACH: We want to intentionally expand our reach to key stakeholders in our local, national, and global community. We want to especially focus our efforts in 2021 on families of individuals who use AAC. We want to demystify our field that is so full of jargon. We want to create a welcoming virtual space for anyone new to AAC.

EQUITY: We at NWACS recognize the pervasive and dangerous past and present of injustices and inequities for Disabled, Black, Brown, Indigenous, and other People of Color, LGBTQ+, and other underserved populations often looked at as “other”. We are committed to examining our participation as an organization in the systemic racism, discrimination, and disenfranchisement in this country and in our field. We are committed to unlearning, learning, advocating, and changing.

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