YCCHS Offers Augmentative & Alternative Communication Services

Published on October 17, 2025

Yavapai County Community Health Provides Augmentative and Alternative Communication Services

For Immediate Release

YAVAPAI COUNTY, Arizona. – If you lost your voice today, how would you tell others your needs and wants? To some, texting or writing isn’t an option, but communicating through symbols works. According to exploreaac.com, “People with severe speech or language difficulties rely on Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) to learn language, supplement existing speech, or replace speech that is not functional. For example, some children are born with difficulty controlling their tongue, lips, and vocal cords. Others may have difficulties learning speech because of Autism, Down Syndrome or other developmental disabilities.” AAC can also help communicate with people who speak different languages.

The Yavapai County Community Health Center Clinics and Connections Center now have AAC Boards in every public area to increase accessibility and interactions with non-verbal clients. “Yavapai County Community Health Services is proud to install these boards in a continuing effort to serve our most vulnerable populations” says Leslie Horton, Community Health Services Director “Having these boards in our public areas throughout the county help to welcome clientele who may otherwise not seek our services.”

AAC Boards have been going up around the City of Prescott area Parks, Airport and Recreation Center thanks to the efforts of the local FidgetPockets 501(C)3 nonprofit organization. These are some of the few locations in the State of Arizona to offer non-verbal accessibility signs, and Yavapai County Community Health Services is helping to expand this accessibility county wide.

“These AAC boards also encourage users to visit our Yavapai County YavapaiReady.gov website to prepare for emergencies,” says Sean Underhill, Public Health Emergency Preparedness Coordinator, who has been the leading force in installing the Community Health Services AAC Boards. “We want to make sure that all community members, especially our most vulnerable, know what to do in an emergency so that no one is left behind.”

To learn more about AAC boards visit fidgetpockets.com or contact our Community Health Services at CHE@yavapaiaz.gov. Emergency AAC resources can also be found at ussaac.org.

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