The Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre (GCCEC), part of the Star Entertainment Group, is proud to have recently secured the 2018 International Society for Augmentative and Alternative Communication (ISAAC) conference.
More than 1,200 attendees from the Asia-Pacific region and wider international community will descend on the Gold Coast to discuss technology and challenges associated with Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), from 21 – 26 July, 2018.
ACC is a set of tools and strategies that millions use worldwide to overcome complex challenges associated with the inability to use natural speech to communicate. Those affected include various disorder sufferers, victims of stroke and traumatic brain injury, temporary medical conditions and young children who are at risk of developing communication disorders.
Australia will welcome the 18th biennial event for the first time with the collective backing of Tourism and Events Queensland and Gold Coast Business Events (part of Gold Coast Tourism Corporation).
Lead bid organiser and President of ISAAC Australia chapter, Gayle Porter said the affordability and affinity with the destination will enable more people in the Asia-Pacific region to discover more about AAC, through attendance at the conference.
“We hope that attracting this international conference will stimulate conversations and draw awareness for people who use ACC, who sadly are all too often relegated to age care housing facilities, because of their complex communication needs,” said Porter.
Ease of accessibility and mobility to and from the destination and to the GCCEC were paramount considerations for the Society, headquartered in Canada. A diverse delegation consisting of users of AAC, their families, therapists, teachers, students, doctors, researchers, organisations and companies that make communication aids meant that numerous factors were carefully examined to ultimately award the bid to the Gold Coast over larger cities.
The accessibility and infrastructure legacy of the upcoming 2018 Commonwealth Games is proving highly appealing for the region and for conference organisers. Nearby Gold Coast International Airport and the wheelchair accessibility of the Gold Coast light rail, which stops directly in front of the access-friendly GCCEC, will provide ISAAC delegates with a world-class public transport network supportive of their needs.
The conference aptly themed ‘Access All Areas’ will feature in the upcoming International AAC Awareness Month, celebrated in October each year. ISAAC’s 14 worldwide chapters hope to challenge all members to expand their concept of accessibility to include communication access in their own communities, regions, and countries.
For more information about ISAAC please visit www.isaac-online.org