The ACE Centre Advisory Trust

Providing assistive / augmented communication (AAC) and assistive

technology (AT) solutions to severely disabled people since 1984

Mission

To provide personalised and independent assessment, research and development, advice and training services for people with severe physical and communication disabilities, and those who support them. By doing this we enable them to communicate, learn and participate in society.

VisionA society where people with complex physical and communication disabilities have a voice to be heard.

What do we do?

• Provide independent assessments for children who have no communication due to severe physical disabilities

• Loan assistive / augmented communication (AAC) and assistive technology (AT) equipment

• Provide training, information, support and advice services to parents, carers, teachers, therapists etc

What is a communication aid?

Video

Statistics• See children & young people across the country

in schools and at the centre

• Each year the ACE Centre provides:– A full initial assessment to approximately 100 children– A re-assessment to approximately 30 children– Loan 500+ individual pieces of AAC and AT equipment

from their ‘loan library’ – Runs 2 full ‘ChatterBox’ networking days for children

who use AAC / AT equipment and their families– Provide 12 information days for free advice, information

and support– Answers hundreds of questions relating to AAC / AT via

phone, email and website enquiries

How can You help?

• £7,200 would buy a Liberator 14 communication aid for use in assessments and loan library.

• £4,000 would provide a full day of fun and peer interaction for children who uses AT equipment and also allow families to meet others in the same / similar situation.

• £1,750 would help cover the costs for a full assessment for a child with severe and complex physical disabilities.

• £900 would pay for one full information day providing support, advice and information to parents, carers, teachers and children with AAC / AT needs.

• £150 pays for one ‘Look2Talk Binder’ which helps a pre-school child learn to communicate.

• PROMOTION OF OUR WORK

Some ideas• October– international AAC awareness month• Sponsored no-speech day! You have to

communicate using other means for a whole day (we can provide you with some example charts).

• Get others to join you!• Sell your sponsorship needs to your workmates

doing a lunchtime presentation all with text to speech software (we can show you how! Just get in touch)

• Posters and collection boxes• Cross-marketing on our media (web, newsletter)

Thankyou

• Local and regional charity• Work with a broad diverse group of

individuals helping them to speak• Need money (!) and just as importantly

local promotion • Get in touch for ideas and help raising

money!