Committees
ISAAC’s activities are supported by its members through standing committees and working groups that focus on specific responsibilities:
Standing Committees
Conference Committee
Oversees the operation of ISAAC’s Biennial Conferences. The Biennial Conference is an important education, financial and advocacy activity for ISAAC.
- Jeff Riley, Chair, jeff.riley(at)vch.ca
2012 Biennial Conference Committee
(not a standing committee of ISAAC but works very closely with the Conference Committee)
Works with the Executive Board and the Secretariat to achieve a successful international conference on behalf of ISAAC.
- Katya Hill, Co-Chair, khill(at)pitt.edu
- Amy Goldman, Co-Chair, amy.goldman(at)temple.edu
- Søren Vintergaard, Co-Chair, vintergaard(at)get2net.dk
2012 Research Symposium Committee
As a subcommittee of the ISAAC Research Committee, organizes the 2012 Research Symposium. Seminars are held over a two-day period following the Main Conference. Participants explore theoretical, methodological and empirical issues of interest within the scientific community. Concurrent strands/topics are selected from those submitted to the Research Symposium Committee.
- Lyle Lloyd, Chair, lloydaac(at)purdue.edu
Finance Committee
Monitors the funds and financial records of the organization, as well as ISAAC’s fiscal policies, practices and procedures.
- Erna Alant, President, ealant(at)gmail.com
Leadership Committee for People who use AAC (LEAD, including Awareness Month)
Advises ISAAC on all issues involving people who use AAC. Develops projects with a consumer focus. This committee fosters the participation of augmented communicators, their families and support networks within ISAAC and beyond.
- Faye Warren, Chair, warrenfaye(at)yahoo.com
Nominations Committee
Responsible for seeking nominations from the ISAAC membership for positions on the Executive Board.
- Vic Valentic, Chair, opendoor1(at)quickclic.net
Awards and Scholarships
(liaises with Nominations Committee and Executive Director; not a standing committee of ISAAC)
Guides the selection process for biennial awards/scholarships recognizing outstanding achievement and distinguished service to ISAAC.
- Shelley Deegan, Chair of the Council, deegan(at)hhsc.ca
Publications Committee
Oversees the publication of AAC. Acts as liaison between ISAAC and AAC’s publisher, Informa Healthcare. Advises on issues related to publishing in the field of augmentative and alternative communication. The aim of the Publications Committee is to increase access to materials that will benefit ISAAC members and the international AAC community.
- Jeff Riley, Chair, jeff.riley(at)vch.ca
- Erna Alant, President, ealant(at)gmail.com
- AAC
ISAAC Research Committee
Monitors the development of research activities within the organization. Activities include the biennial ISAAC Research Symposium, held in conjunction with the ISAAC Conference. The Research Committee also considers strategies to encourage established and young researchers (e.g., students) to engage in state-of-the-art developments in the field. One of ISAAC’s main goals is to promote research and development in all areas of AAC.
This committee is involved in developing:
- Guidelines and advice concerning research priorities to be communicated within and outside of ISAAC organization,
- Appropriate and effective channels to disseminate research findings
- Opportunities for researchers to share and build their own research capacity in the field and to network with AAC researchers and research centers worldwide.
- Filip Loncke, Chair, ftl4n(at)cms.mail.virginia.edu
The Emerging AAC Nations Committee
(incorporated under BUILD Project)
Supports ISAAC membership in countries and regions where economic limitations restrict the availability of AAC programs and services.
- Rajul Padmanabhan, Co-chair, rajulpadmanabhan(at)hotmail.com
The Translations Committee
Translates articles and documents into languages other than English, with a minimum of four languages: French, German, Italian and Spanish.
- Paul Andres, Chair, paul(at)minspeak.de
Other Groups:
Friends of ISAAC
Advises on issues of importance to the organization. The Friends are volunteers who have formerly served ISAAC at the governance level.
- Martine Smith, Liaison, mmsmith(at)tcd.ie
Bylaws Working Group
Reviewing the existing bylaws to create a more concise document, as mandated by the Council in July 2010.
- Liz Moulam, Chair, lizmoulam(at)aol.com
Website Development Working Group
Developing a new ISAAC website.
- Eija Roisko, Chair, eija.roisko(at)kvl.fi
Communication with the United Nations
Guides ISAAC in its role as NGO in Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations (ECOSOC).
- Erna Alant, President, ealant(at)gmail.com
- Franklin Smith, Executive Director, franklin(at)isaac-online.org
Liaison between the Council and the Executive Board
- Shelley Deegan, Chair of the Council, deegan(at)hhsc.ca
Interested in joining a committee or group?
Please contact the Chair listed for the committee/group, or contact the Chair of the Council.
- 2010 2012 ISAAC Standing Committees & Working Groups (PDF, 157 kB)