We had a great Ace Centre showing at this year’s AAC Awards. Held during Communication Matters International AAC Conference, many of our colleague got to enjoy a fantastic evening celebrating innovation, dedication, and impact across the AAC community. It was an emotional and inspiring night, with Ace Centre honoured in two very special ways.

Lifetime Achievement Award in memory of Jamie Munro

We’re proud to share that Alli Gaskin was posthumously awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award at the recent CM AAC Awards. This prestigious honour, presented by the Communication Matters Board of Trustees, it recognises Alli’s extraordinary impact on the AAC community. Her children, Emily and Jack, accepted the award on her behalf in what was a moving and emotional moment, reminding us all of how deeply Alli is missed. A special thank you to Jon for the beautifully crafted tribute video about Alli which was shared on the evening which you can watch here.

Access Award in memory of Samantha Hunnisett

We’re thrilled to announce that the Echo app, developed by the Ace Centre Research & Innovation Team, won the Access Award recognising innovative work that breaks down barriers to accessing AAC and Electronic Assistive Technology. Echo was praised by the judging panel for its transformative impact on communication for individuals with complex needs. The free app uses auditory scanning and flexible input methods, empowering users with greater independence and control.

The award was accepted by our colleague Will Wade, Research and Innovation Manager who stated:

To be honest, I wasn’t expecting it. Most of my attention was on the big-ticket award of the evening — the Lifetime Achievement Award for Alli Gaskin. Alli was an awesome SLT colleague and friend, and she will be deeply missed.  But fittingly, Alli also had a direct connection to Echo. While working at Lancasterian she supported a child whose communication needs weren’t being met by any existing AAC system. Echo bridged that gap. She immediately recognised its value and became one of its strongest champions. That connection made winning the award all the more meaningful.

Will also insists that Echo was a team effort:

So yes, the Access Award has Ace Centre’s name on it. But really, it belongs to: Paul Pickford, whose donation started it all. Hossein Zoda, who built the first version (Pasco). Gavin Henderson, who rewrote it in SwiftUI and brought Echo to life. Michael Ritson, for deep input on visual impairment and access aspects. Charlie Danger, who once needed it working with a scroll wheel as input … and most of all, the end users, Darren, the client in ICU, and many others whose needs shaped the app! Whilst I accepted the Access Award, it was for the wider Ace Centre team, who foster and curate ideas like this every day by working closely with individuals with disabilities.