PRC-Saltillo and ISAAC are thrilled to announce the recipients of the inaugural Bruce Baker AAC Globalization Initiative. 

PRC-Saltillo CEO Dave Hershberger announces the recipients in this video.

About the Bruce Baker AAC Globalization Initiative

Bruce Baker was introduced to the world of AAC in the early 1980s. He soon became aware that existing AAC devices had significant vocabulary limitations, especially for individuals who were preliterate. As a linguist, he was familiar with approaches that various cultures used to represent language, ranging from Latin orthography to Chinese pictograms and Egyptian hieroglyphics. Bruce drew upon this knowledge to develop Minspeak^®, a system of encoding language through multi-meaning icons. Bruce dedicated his career and life to serving individuals who communicate with AAC. 

Much has changed in the 40 years since Bruce became interested in AAC. Advancements in technology, research, and clinical practice have made AAC accessible to millions of people across the globe. Yet, barriers still remain. By its very nature, much of AAC is language-specific. In many areas of the world, AAC devices and apps are not available in the local language. In other areas, some technology is available, but offers only limited vocabulary and functionality. Implementation materials for clinicians, educators, and parents are often not available in the local language. 

To honour Bruce’s legacy and contributions to the field of AAC, PRC-Saltillo established, in partnership with ISAAC International, the Bruce Baker AAC Globalization Initiative. The initiative receives applications from individuals or teams who are interested in developing vocabulary files, translating AAC systems, and creating materials in languages in which AAC is under-represented. PRC-Saltillo will provide software for creating vocabulary sets and for translating prompts and materials. They will also provide $10,000 USD to cover the recipients’ activities and expenses. Upon completion, they will integrate the vocabulary, instructions, and materials into PRC-Saltillo AAC apps and/or devices and make them available in places where the language is spoken.

The intent will be to offer this award every two years, to coincide with subsequent ISAAC Conferences.

For more information contact Franklin Smith, ISAAC Executive Director, franklin(at)isaac-online.org