My name is Ally, and I’m a current PhD student at Newcastle University based in the History department. My research focuses on the history of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), creating a history of the devices and the related services, and prioritising user experiences as part of this research.

I am currently looking for adults with experience of using AAC devices (any form of AAC device, low-tech or high-tech) and familiar communication partners for an exciting oral history project creating a user history of AAC devices and services as part of my PhD degree.

It is well acknowledged that we need to collect the experiences of more disabled people to gain a better understanding of our past. This is an innovative project, prioritising user voices to provide insights into experiences of using AAC devices and services. It will also shape oral history methodology to allow us to interview more people who communicate via other communication methods.

If you would like to know more about the project and would be interested in getting involved, please get in contact with me (Ally) at: [email protected]

If you feel that you have important insights, but don’t want to undertake an oral history interview or have only been using AAC for a short period of time, please feel free to get in contact with me also – I’d still be delighted to hear your perspectives.