USSAAC's AAC Disaster Relief Work

If you have a disability and use AAC technology to communicate, but your equipment was lost or damaged in a major regional/national disaster, we can help! Contact us and explain your disaster-related situation and we will reach out to you to get more detailed information about your AAC needs. Please note that assistance from this project is limited to individuals who live in the US and its territories.

The USSAAC AAC Disaster Relief Project CAN help you replace lost or damaged:

  • AAC devices (also called speech generating devices or SGDs)
  • Switches
  • Mounting systems
  • No-tech communication books/boards
  • Batteries and chargers specific to AAC

Our focus is communication disability, specifically AAC. Therefore, we can NOT provide financial or material assistance for things like:

  • Rent and lodging
  • Clothing and shoes
  • Diapers, car seats, and formula
  • Furniture, bedding, and household items
  • Phones, cell phones, and cell phone plans
  • Computers and laptops (unless needed for AAC)
  • Consumer electronics, like TVs, radios, and stereos
  • Medication, medical bills or supplies like catheters and needles
  • Transportation (unless related to an AAC assessment) and vehicles

How to Help
We welcome your assistance! The USSAAC AAC Disaster Relief Project is volunteer-powered and relies on donations from individuals, agencies, and corporations. Please contact us if you would like to volunteer your time or expertise to help those who lost AAC equipment in a national or regional disaster. We also welcome monetary donations, speech-generating devices, AAC app codes, and other AAC-related items.

About the AAC Disaster Relief Project
USSAAC launched the AAC Disaster Relief Project in 2005 in response to the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina. A team of AAC professionals identified individuals who had lost their AAC tools and helped replace those devices. After the initial recovery phase, the group shifted its focus to strengthening resilience within the affected AAC community, hosting the AAC and All That Jazz conference to support and educate AAC professionals serving the region long-term. Since then, the AAC Disaster Relief Committee has continued to provide assistance to people impacted by hurricanes, storms, and wildfires across the United States, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Thank You to Our Donors!
This work would not be possible without the generous support of these individuals and organizations.

Donors

  • Prentke Romich Company/Saltillo
  • Tobii Dynavox Company
  • American Red Cross
  • Talk to Me Technologies
  • Romich Foundation
  • Small Footprint
  • Anonymous
  • Attainment
  • SmartBox
  • The Bridge School

In-Kind Donations

  • Alexicom
  • American Red Cross
  • AssistiveWare
  • ATinNH (New Hampshire's Assistive Technology Act Program)
  • Attainment
  • Low Tech Solutions
  • Pyramid Educational Consultants
  • Saltillo
  • SmartyEars
  • SpeakMODalities
  • Talk To Me Technologies
  • WATR (Wyoming's Assistive Technology Act Program)