Friday Announcements – 6 June 2025

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1. Call for Language Testers for Predictable!
2. Chailey CAS Manager Vacancy
3. Free Webinar: AAC Users Share Successful Peer Support Projects in US and UK
4. Making Digital Learning More Accessible – Survey
5. EarSwitch Study – Participants Needed
6. A Voice for Every Child: Parents Leading the Way with Makaton

News from Communication Matters
7. NEW Call for Nominations for Trustees
8. Research Matters Group Online Meeting
9. CM Peer Support & Mentoring Project – Development Opportunities
10. AAC Awards 2025 – Final Week to Nominate!
11. Belfast AAC Information Day – Last Call for Bookings
12. CM2025 International AAC Conference – Register Now
13. We Need Your Help to Win a Donation in the My Favourite Voucher Codes Poll!
14. CM Office Closed Monday
15. About Friday Announcements

 

1. Call for Language Testers for Predictable!

From Annie Galvin, Therapy Box Ltd:

We’re looking for anyone who speaks Mandarin, Korean, or Japanese to test and provide feedback for these languages in Predictable. Your feedback will help us make the app even better for everyone. Please email [email protected] if you are interested in getting involved, we’d love to hear from you!

 

2. Chailey CAS Manager Vacancy

From Belinda Bleeker, Chailey Communication Aid Service:

There is an exciting opportunity to lead a dynamic, enthusiastic, friendly AAC hub in the beautiful Sussex and Surrey countryside.

The post is for a motivated leader and team player with specialist AAC and/or EAT knowledge and with experience in leadership or management roles.

Chailey Communication Aid Service (CCAS) is one of 15 centres nationally who have been commissioned by NHS England (NHSE) to provide a Specialised AAC Service. The service provides communication aid assessment and equipment to adults and children with complex disability in the geographical area of Sussex and Surrey. Travel will be required within this area.

The successful applicant will be leading a team of Speech & Language Therapists, Occupational Therapists, Clinical Scientists (including trainees), Therapy Assistants, Healthcare Science and Administration staff who assess, provide and maintain communication aids and associated equipment for those who meet the NHSE specification.

Please feel free to contact CCAS for an informal chat. For further details and contact information, click here.

 

3. Free Webinar: AAC Users Share Successful Peer Support Projects in US and UK

We’re delighted to see the Communication Matters Mentoring Project play a part in this free webinar from ATIA.

Tune in on 17th June at 7pm UK time, to hear about two AAC Peer Support projects in the US and the UK. Information will be shared about how these programs increase confidence, skills, and inclusion for AAC users.

This webinar will look at the principles of AAC peer support and offer practical steps on how to start a program in your community.

Register for this free webinar at atia.org/webinar. ASL interpreters and captioning will be available for the live event.

 

4. Making Digital Learning More Accessible – Survey

From Paul Robinson, Micro:bit Educational Foundation:

Hi, I work at Micro:bit Educational Foundation, and we are collaborating with Google and Microsoft to improve the accessibility of block-based coding.

We’re inviting young people and educators, parents, and carers to share their experience using the Microsoft MakeCode editor, which is used to code the micro:bit. Your valuable input will help us better understand the barriers and frustrations that exist and help develop potential solutions.

You don’t need any experience of MakeCode and the survey takes just 10 minutes.

We want to hear from:

  • Young learners with disabilities that affect how they use a computer
  • Educators, parents, or carers of students with these accessibility needs

We are especially interested in learning about experiences from:

  • Learners with visual impairments who may use screen readers, magnifiers, or other adaptations
  • Learners with dexterity impairments who find using a mouse or trackpad challenging, this includes those who use:
    • Switches
    • Eye gaze
    • Voice control
    • Keyboard-only navigation

Are you or someone you know be able to help us by completing our survey? Start the survey

Thank you for your time and support. Your insights will make a meaningful difference in improving accessibility for learners.

 

5. EarSwitch Study – Participants Needed

From Sudipta Chowdhury, University of Bath:

Following an extension to our project, we are recruiting further participants for Phase B of the University of Bath’s EarSwitch study, which is developing an ear-based assistive technology to help people communicate.

We’re looking for individuals who:

  • Use assistive technology for communication, feeding, mobility, or environmental control
  • Can make a rumbling sound or squeeze a muscle in their ear (as shown in this video)

The study will be run at home, with a device provided for a 4-week trial. Please share this information with anyone who may be interested. We would be very grateful for your help! For more details, and/or to participate in the study, please email [email protected].

 

6. A Voice for Every Child: Parents Leading the Way with Makaton

From Natalie Applewhaite-Morgan, The Makaton Charity:

Join us for a heartwarming and insightful conversation with two parents who have embraced Makaton to support their children’s communication, and in doing so, helped shift attitudes in homes, schools, and their wider communities.

In this live session, you’ll hear their real experiences, from learning Makaton to advocating for support, building inclusive environments, and sharing their knowledge with others. Their journeys are unique but grounded in a shared passion: to give every child a voice.

Date: Tuesday 10th June 2025  Time:6 pm – 7pm  Online via Zoom

Reserve your free place now:
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/8717479164625/WN_0uKIBLIFSf-YrBXhe3Wc1g

 

7. NEW Call for Nominations for Trustees

The time has come again to request nominations for Trustees for the next term in the life of Communication Matters. This is a role which demands stamina, commitment and skill mixing but which can be very stimulating and enlightening!

This year there are five vacant places to be filled and the opportunity of appointing a further three Co-opted Trustees as appropriate. The announcement of Trustees will take place at the virtual Annual Meeting of Associate Members on Sunday 7 September 2025 ahead of the Communication Matters International AAC Conference.

For more information and to download a nomination form, please go to: communicationmatters.org.uk/news/call-for-trustees-2025

Completed nomination forms must reach us by Friday 18 July.

 

8. Research Matters Group Online Meeting

Are you an AAC user interested in research? Do you want to know more about AAC research? Or would like to get more involved with research?

Our Research Matters group meets online to learn about research and to connect people who are interested in research with one another.

Our next meeting is Tuesday 24th June, 4pm – 5pm: This will be a ‘connecting’ session. The meeting will be hosted on Teams.

The agenda is:

If you’d like to join this group and attend this online session, please email Charlie Moran: [email protected]

Please do share this with AAC users in your networks.

 

9. CM Peer Support & Mentoring Project – Development Opportunities

Are you interested in being involved and helping to develop this project? We are looking for 2 – 3 AAC users who have a range of skills and interests to help develop our resources and engage in project development and delivery.

We have a limited number of hours available and activities may include helping to make our resources accessible, developing topics for workshops and/or possibly co-presenting.

If you are an AAC user and feel you have particular skills, please let us know more along with your area of interest. Send a CV and a one-page A4 document or email (no more than 600 words) to [email protected].

You can find out more about the project here.

Communication Matters will review all applications. For those AAC users that are not successful, it is likely that we will keep your details for future reference. Please note that payment is provided on a self-employed basis.

The closing date is Friday 27th June at 12 noon.

For more information, please email: Verity Elliott – [email protected]

 

10. AAC Awards 2025 – Final Week to Nominate!

Nominations for the AAC Awards 2025 are open until midnight on Friday 13th June. Follow the link below to fill in a form to nominate an AAC user, a family member or carer, professional or team, project or product that has supported you or helped to achieve the unachievable! Self-nominations are permitted and encouraged but all must be accompanied by a statement of support for the person, organisation, project or product you are nominating which can be given in a written or alternative format.

The AAC Awards are moving to the CM International AAC Conference! Though they are included in the price of the two-day conference registration or can be added onto one-day or exhibition-only attendee registrations, they are open for all to join. Not coming to conference this year? You will be at conference, but you would like family, friends or colleagues to join in the Awards fun? No problem! Tickets for those who want to attend the Awards only are now on sale.

Submit a nomination by 13th June and buy tickets here: https://www.communicationmatters.org.uk/conference/awards/

 

11. Belfast AAC Information Day – Last Call for Bookings

This AAC Information Day is a product demonstration day supported and presented by our Commercial Members from the UK’s leading suppliers of communication aids, equipment, software and symbol systems.

The day consists of five sessions which provide information and offer up-to-date knowledge on the range of AAC products available in the UK. There will also be an exhibition period where you can try out products.

Date: Thursday 12 June 2025
Venue: Girdwood Community Hub, 10 Girdwood Avenue, Belfast, Antrim, BT14 6E
Cost: FREE to attend! Lunch & refreshments are provided

To find out which suppliers are attending, please visit our website by clicking on the links below:

Book your place today!

 

12. CM2025 International AAC Conference – Register Now

Registration is now open, but we wanted to highlight some exciting changes and additions taking place this year.

One notable change is the conference being shortened to two days. We will open the main conference on Monday 8th September at 9AM and close at 4PM Tuesday the 9th. While this means a slightly shorter conference than previous years, we have worked hard to consolidate the programme to offer better value with events on either side. These include:

  • Pre-Conference Relaxed Exhibition: on the afternoon of 7th September, we will be providing a time for conference delegates and the community who need a quieter and less busy space to meet with suppliers. This is a free optional event for those who wish to add it to their delegate package. Tickets will also be available to people not attending conference.
  • AAC Awards: on the evening of 8th September, we will be hosting our biennial event celebrating all forms of communication, the people who use AAC, the professionals, families and suppliers that support them. Being held at the Royal Armouries in Leeds, we are certain the awards, dinner and dancing will prove to be a fun and exciting night for all! This event is included in the full delegate registration price. It can be added to one-day and exhibition-only delegates at an additional price. Tickets will also be available to people not attending conference.
  • Post-Conference Research Study Day: this additional day on 10th September is open to conference delegates and others who are interested in research focused strands delivered by an international cohort of researchers and academics. This event can be added to all delegate packages at an additional price. Tickets will also be available to people not attending conference.

Changes to accommodation 

In another effort to offer choice and value, there are now options available for conference delegates to choose accommodation. When going through the registration process you can add on-campus accommodation at Storm Jameson, which will be added to the full conference delegate rate. You can also choose to opt-out and stay elsewhere. We have teamed up with Conference Leeds to offer delegates preferential rates at hotels within Leeds for your convenience.

Registration is now open!

Book early to take advantage of the Early Bird discount which expires on 11th July.

See prices and book online here.

 

13. We Need Your Help to Win a Donation in the My Favourite Voucher Codes Poll!

This June, you can help Communication Matters to receive a donation without spending a penny – all you need to do is cast your free vote in the My Favourite Voucher Codes charity poll!

Every month, My Favourite Voucher Codes donate 20% of their profits to charity. They run a monthly poll where 4 charities are in with the chance of winning the donation.

This month, Communication Matters have been chosen as a nominated charity, and we need your help to win!
It is free to vote in, everyone gets 1 vote (per IP address) and you do not need to enter any details at all to vote.
The poll will remain open until midnight on 30th June.

How Do I Vote?
Voting is super simple; all you need to do is:

  • Visit the My Favourite Voucher Codes website.
  • Scroll down until you see the poll on the right-hand side of the page (or at the bottom of the page on mobile).
  • Vote for Communication Matters!

Thank you to all our amazing supporters and everyone who is able to vote for Communication Matters this June. If we win this donation, we can continue supporting those who have verbal communication difficulties and give everyone a voice.

 

14. CM Office Closed Monday

The Communication Matters Office will be closed on Monday 9th June due to staff leave. Please email [email protected] with any enquiries and we will get back to you as soon as possible on re-opening. Thank you for your understanding.

 

15. About Friday Announcements

These ‘Friday Announcements’ comprise weekly product updates, upcoming courses, and supplier news. Please email [email protected] with the item you want to be included by Thursday at 5pm – no more than 200 words (one entry per organisation per week) – and include contact email and/or link so readers can find out further information (no file attachments please).