[1] Ace Centre offer assessment, training and information services in England and Wales, with a focus on Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) and Assistive Technology (AT).
The first ACE Centre was started in 1984 through UK government funding as part of the new initiative to introduce information technology into schools, in England and Wales following the end of the Micro-Electronics Project MEP.
During MEP four Special Education Micro-technology Resource Centres (SEMERCs) were set up in London (Redbridge), Manchester, Bristol and Newcastle.
The original staff at the opening of the Centre in May 1984 were Prue Fuller (Director), Andrew Lysley (SEN Teacher), David Colven (Technical Officer) and Pauline Paine (Administrator).
[2] In 1985 a second Centre was opened in Oldham at Park Dean School It was managed by the head teacher Rhys Williams, who later became principal of Hereward College, and Roger Bates (later of Inclusive Technology).
The first software developments at the ace centre was to re-write Sentence Scan and Start-Write for the increasingly popular BBC Micro.
The advent of the IBM compatible computer lead to more graphics based programs being developed for switch users such as 'Plocka' (Swedish for 'pick up').
Plocka has facilities for creating sorting and matching scenarios for switch users and has a built in graphics library.