Call for Evidence: Improving Access to Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) in England

Policy Connect is launching a Call for Evidence to inform its research into how people in England access and continue to use AAC. 

AAC includes signs and gestures, paper-based communication resources, communication devices, tablets, apps, and access technology. It can support children and adults who have difficulty communicating through speech. 

People seeking AAC may need to navigate different services, eligibility criteria, and funding decisions. Responsibility for assessment, equipment, and continuing support may be divided between specialised AAC services, local health services, education, local authorities, social care, and other organisations. 

Our research will follow the journey from the recognition of a possible AAC need, to effective and sustained communication. It will examine where access works well, where it stops or slows down, and what happens when someone does not meet the eligibility criteria for a specialised AAC service. 

The research aims to develop practical and costed policy recommendations for making access to appropriate AAC more dependable, with clearer responsibilities for funding and continued support. 

Who should respond 

We welcome evidence from: 

• AAC users, family members, carers, and communication partners.
• Schools, colleges, and education services.
• Local AAC, speech and language therapy, and independent clinical services.
• Specialised AAC services.
• NHS commissioners, local authorities, SEND teams, and social care commissioners.
• Charities, user-led organisations, and advocacy organisations.
• Researchers, professional bodies, and other people or organisations with relevant experience.

Respondents may share personal or professional experience, anonymised examples, service or budget information, research evidence, and recommendations for change.

Please do not include names or other information that could identify individual patients, pupils, or service users. 

AAC manufacturers are being invited to contribute through a separate evidence-gathering process. Representatives of manufacturers who would like to participate should contact Aldo Gianola at (Aldo.Gianola@policyconnect.org.uk)

What the research will examine 

The Call for Evidence covers the following stages of the AAC journey: 

• Identifying a possible need and making a referral.
• Assessment, equipment trials, and eligibility decisions.
• Funding and provision.
• Training and support for use at home, in education, at work, and in the community.
• Review, maintenance, repair, and replacement.
• Transitions between schools, services, and settings.

We are particularly interested in hearing about: 

• Funding routes and gaps across assessment, trials, equipment, software, mounting, training, repair, and replacement.
• What happens when referrals to specialised AAC services are accepted, declined, returned, or redirected.
• The relationship between specialised AAC services and local provision.
• Variation in commissioning, eligibility, and local capacity.
• The route from a concern raised in school to assessment and funded provision, including for children without an Education, Health and Care Plan. 
• The effect of age, geography, setting, diagnosis, personal advocacy, and family resources on access.
• Examples of provision that works well, as well as barriers and unresolved gaps. 

Evidence submitted through the call will inform our analysis and policy recommendations. It will also help shape a subsequent discussion with selected stakeholders to test the journey map, compare different perspectives, and consider possible solutions. 

How to contribute 

1. Open the online call for evidence: Fill in form
2. Complete the short introductory section and select the perspective that best describes your experience or role.
3. The form will direct you to the questions most relevant to that perspective.
4. Answer the questions for which you have relevant experience or evidence. Most written questions are optional.
5. Submit your response by 20 November 2026. 
6. A shorter accessible survey and support with providing a response are available. For assistance or further information, please contact Aldo Gianola.

For more information, read the one-page overview under ‘related documents’ on this page.