Welcome to ISAAC ’10 in Barcelona, Spain
We invite you to attend the 14th Biennial Conference of the International Society for Augmentative and Alternative Communication (ISAAC) in Barcelona, themed Communicating Worlds. ISAAC focuses on people anywhere in the world who communicate with little or no speech. Thousands of members in 60 countries, with 15 ISAAC Chapters work together so that everyone can communicate.
Each Biennial Conference includes families sharing success stories, exciting breakthroughs, fun social activities, scientific paper presentations, and demonstrations of assistive equipment. During each global gathering, families, therapists, professionals, children and adults with complex communication needs, and researchers from the fields of education, rehabilitation, health sciences, government and industry come and learn the latest information about augmentative and alternative communication.
Granted NGO status in 2006, ISAAC achieved special consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations. Celebrating their 25th Anniversary in 2008, ISAAC supporters continue to advocate for the rights and privileges for all people to communicate and improve their quality of life.
Barcelona is calling all together in 2010 to continue to communicate around the world. We extend a heartfelt welcome for you to join our circle of friends and advocate with us to improve communication for all people with speech difficulties. ISAAC members want everyone in the world to know about AAC.
Please come and share with us,
Sudha Kaul,
ISAAC President until December 2008
Mary Blake Huer,
ISAAC President since January 2009
Barcelona, Communicating worlds
Hello everybody, we would like to present to you the next site for the 2010 ISAAC Conference, in Spain, in the Mediterranean city of Barcelona.
Our logo, which was designed by people with disabilities especially for the occasion, and the title of the conference, Communicating worlds, represent some ideas we would like to share with you. On one side of the logo, we see a mosaic, like the one Gaudí used so frequently in his architecture, which represents for us the mosaic of cultures that is ISAAC.
Throughout its history, Spain has been and continues to be a bridge that unites different worlds and continents. Our geographical location lies between Europe and Africa, and our seafaring traditions have resulted in a rich history shared amongst people from Islamic, Jewish, and Catholic cultures. In addition, our common language, shared with the countries of South and Central America, has added to the diversity of our Spanish culture.
Modern Spain is linguistically diverse with four official languages: Castilian, Catalonian, Basque and Galician.
In this world of increasing global interconnections, we are working towards a mosaic of communication among cultures and languages; a future of balanced colours and shapes, as creative and colourful as the ones in our logo.
On the other side of the logo, the title of the 2010 Conference, Communicating worlds expresses our way of life and how we relate to one another. As Latin and Mediterranean people, we need to demonstrate what we think and feel through words, gestures and expression. What better opportunity to celebrate this expression but through an organization and a conference whose mission is to defend the right of all individuals to communicate!!!
Our country has a long tradition in the field of AAC. In 1983, when ISAAC was born, Carmen Basil, was one of the founders. Therefore, it is not only the work that we are doing and will do, but the work that many Spanish colleagues have been doing for many years. We hope our efforts will result in a productive event like the one from other conferences: a meeting of people from all over the world, full of vision, of new approaches, of achievements and new ideas to make communication not a privilege, but a right.
We will be waiting for you in 2010 in Barcelona, a city that has worked hard for accessibility, a city which feels proud and happy to open the doors to everybody.
See you in Barcelona in 2010!!!
Cristina Larraz and Jordi Escoin
Co-chairs of the ISAAC Biennial Conference Committee 2010
