We loved meeting so many of you in Leeds at the Communication Matters Conference 2025 (7th – 10th September)! We hope you enjoyed the Conference as much as we did, from the Exhibition Hall to the insightful presentations. Quite a few members of our team were able to share information through their talks, and we had a lot of interesting discussions at our stall. Our team came away from the Conference with plenty to reflect on, and a renewed sense of why the AAC Community is so important. We hope you left feeling the same!
We began the weekend with the Relaxed Exhibition on Sunday afternoon, which was a great opportunity to have conversations in a calmer environment than the busy Exhibition Hall during the main programme. Across the whole of the Conference, we enjoyed having discussions about our Ace Centre Learning offerings, online resources, and Clinical Supervision and Mentoring. As well as giving away our “AAC is Ace” stickers! We loved hearing the positive feedback about our Clues Book, and have passed on some of your feedback about making it (and some of our other resources) even better. We also enjoyed the opportunity to engage with some of the AAC users attending the conference, including one woman who told us she first visited our original centre in Oxford nearly 40 years ago — a powerful reminder of Ace Centre’s long history.
One of the highlights was the AAC Awards, held alongside the Conference. See more about our experience at the AAC Awards.
For those who missed out, here are some of the highlights from our presentations.
Elevating Paper-Based Resources
Presented by Tina Voizey & Katherine Small
Tina and Katherine explored the power of paper-based AAC, and the importance of paper-based strategies as more than just a “back-up” for when technology fails. They highlighted the strengths of well-designed and personalised paper-based resources, especially when they are well supported by Communication Partners. If you’re interested, explore our paper-based resources!
How Can Voice Output Phonemes be Used in Assistive Technology?
Presented by Will Wade, Andrea Lee, Kirsty McNaught & Heather Graz
This session introduced innovative work on phoneme-based voice output, where users can generate words and sounds by combining phonemes rather than selecting whole words. This approach opens up opportunities for AAC users to assemble or approximate words more flexibly, and offer greater scope for personalisation. They also discussed the trade-offs of this approach including learnability, error types, how phoneme choices impact intelligibility or consistency, and how these can impact real-world use.
FUNctional Switching
Presented by Kezia Hesketh & Charlie Danger, with CENMAC
Kezia and Charlie shared their FUNctional Switching project, and its central theme of developing switch access for AAC through practical activities and motivating tasks. They also introduced their “gears” analogy, as a flexible way to adapt to the learner’s needs in the moment, while keeping learners moving forward. Learn more about their project and see their switch activity book.
Empowering AAC Professionals: Clinical Supervision and Mentoring at Ace Centre
Presented by Katy Leckenby & Samantha McNeilly
In their Lightning Talk, Katy and Sam shared how structured Clinical Supervision and Mentoring at Ace Centre supports professional development, confidence, and wellbeing. These sessions are designed to work alongside your existing Clinical Supervision, and provide opportunities to deepen your AAC knowledge and build confidence. Find out more about our Clinical Supervision and Mentoring!
Overcoming Barriers When Creating a Multilingual AAC System with the Use of Code Switching
Presented by Megan Hodgson & Katy Leckenby
Megan and Katy shared a case study exploring the complexities of designing AAC for multilingual users. Their session explored the considerations when working with multilingual clients, emphasising the importance of smooth code-switching and systems that reflect the cultural and linguistic identities of users. For more multilingual resources, check out our Language Library!
Alongside presenting, our team enjoyed attending other sessions, exploring the Exhibition Hall, and having valuable discussions with familiar and new faces. Themes of identity, choice, and flexibility came through strongly across the programme, reminding us that AAC should always adapt to reflect the diverse needs of those who use it. We returned to the office inspired by the potential of emerging technologies such as AI, while staying mindful of the responsibilities and questions they raise.
Thank you to everyone who made CM2025 so memorable. We’re already looking forward to continuing these conversations, and to seeing many of you again at Communication Matters 2026!
