Planning for the future as an AAC user
Early in 2026, I was shocked to learn of the events surrounding support for Lucinda Ritchie (BBC, 2026), who lives in Sussex. It was upsetting to read her story. Lucinda had been in hospital, and the NHS had decided that rather than allowing her to return to her own home,...
AAC, AI, authenticity of authorship and agency
I’ve been following the debates around AAC and artificial intelligence (AI) for several years. During this time I have acknowledged that authenticity of authorship around the words we speak is an important topic for any AAC user. At the risk of opening up a can of worms, some of the...
How to live audAACiously
It has been a long time coming, and what a great day to share my news: World Book Day. This means I can very quietly announce my book will be published in November 2026. I'm hoping you will buy 'The Ultimate Lived Experience Guide to AAC: How to live audAACiously'....
Primary School AAC Journey
Recently, I received a question about my primary school AAC journey and how this prepared me for transitioning to secondary school and adult life. This set me off thinking about the purpose of education, curriculum access and my own primary school AAC journey. Education aims to equip all young people to take...
Decision Making
Not for the first time, and probably not the last either, I was recently asked about decision making. The question was: What is the best way for professionals to ask for, and include, your thoughts and opinions in their decision making?” My personal thoughts led me to write this. Whoever...
All Party Parliamentary Group for Assistive Technology Reception
I was privileged to attend the All Party Parliamentary Group for Assistive Technology reception. This was held on 8 May 2025 in Westminster. It was an honour to share first some of my lived experiences about using AAC. Then second, some very top-line preliminary findings from my Master's of Research...
Whose voice is it?
Having ownership of your voice is something we can easily take for granted. We might experience a cold, even have a bout of laryngitis but for the most part when we do speak we sound like ourselves. Our voice is part of our identity. So, when you use augmentative and...