The International Society for Augmentative and Alternative Communication (ISAAC) established International AAC Awareness Month in October 2007. It is celebrated around the world each October. The goal is to:
- raise awareness of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) and
- to inform the public about the many different ways in which people communicate.
Today. Tomorrow. Beyond.
ISAAC has chosen “AAC in Everyday Life: Today, Tomorrow, and Beyond” as this year’s theme for International AAC Awareness Month. ISAAC also asks that we use the hashtag #AACaware26 on social media.
Today. Tomorrow. Beyond. We can’t help but notice that this year’s AAC Awareness Month theme invites us to think creatively about AAC. Which fits right into our subtheme this month of AAC and Creativity! ISAAC’s theme encourages us to explore ideas to help advance the field of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC). Pushing the field of AAC forward can benefit from creative, out-of-the-box thinking.
NWACS board member Esther shares her vision for the future of AAC in her latest blog post for NWACS. Read My AAC, My Everyday on the NWACS website for her thoughts on AAC today, tomorrow, and beyond.
Take Action
This AAC Awareness Month is a good opportunity to take action to learn and share about the many different ways people communicate beyond using speech.
LEARN MORE ABOUT AAC
- Explore the NWACS website
- Attend the 2026 NWACS Virtual Fall Conference on October 11, 2026 (registration required)
- Check out recorded sessions from AAC in the Cloud 2026 (free)
- Check out the newest module at the AAC Learning Center Supporting Meaningful Participation in Society which features several articles by AAC users exploring supports and barriers to community participation (free, need to create an account; ASHA members use this link and non-ASHA members use this link)
- Glenda Watson Hyatt is hosting Accessibility Includes Communication: A conversation about communication access in Canada throughout October. It will be in a blog format. As she says, “Accessibility includes communication.” Even if you do not live in Canada, this conversation is sure to be insightful! Sign up on Glenda’s website to have each installment delivered directly to your inbox.
- Listen to podcasts (like Talking With Tech AAC Podcast or The Take AACtion Podcast)
- TechOWL is presenting a free webinar “lunch and learn” series throughout October 2026 (1 hour each Wednesday; registration required)
- Avaz is presenting a free “Insights with Avaz” webinar series throughout October 2026 (1 hour each Wednesday; registration details coming soon)
- PRC-Saltillo is hosting an Ambassador Open House on October 14, 2026 (free; registration required)
- University of Wisconsin – Waisman Center is hosting a free ECHO Augmentative & Alternative Communication webinar: Literacy and AAC on October 21, 2026 (registration required)
- Register for the ISAAC Virtual Conference 2026 (November 10-11, 2026)
- Do you live in the Greater Seattle area? Consider attending Neurobloom’s Multimodal Communication Showcase on October 25, 2026 from 9 am – 4 pm PT (free, registration required)
OTHER
- AAC Users: What does AAC Awareness Month mean to you? Send us an email (info@nwacs.info) or comment below! We’ll compile all of the responses we receive for a wrap-up blog post at the end of October 2026.
- Check out sales happening for AAC Awareness Month (digital flyer from Lauren Enders Gonzales, MA, CCC-SLP).
- Support NWACS
- Volunteer with NWACS! Send us an email to let us know your interest.
- Buy something in the NWACS Shop. Every purchase helps sustain NWACS.
- Make a donation to NWACS (see link at the bottom of the page). We are a 501(c)(3) and donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. Our EIN is 91-1394307.
Check back throughout October to see if we’ve found more ideas!
You may also find inspiration from ideas we shared in previous years (explore the Awareness sub-category on the NWACS website).
Stay connected with NWACS for more throughout AAC Awareness Month and beyond!
- through our email newsletter (subscribe to our email list)
- through our website
- on social media
How are you celebrating and promoting AAC this AAC Awareness Month? Tell us on social media or below in the comments!
Share your comments or questions.