Mariam Gelashvili

Mariam Gelashvili is the Founder and Managing Director of Consort Georgia, a non-governmental organization dedicated to advancing Assistive Technology (AT) and Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) in Georgia. Since establishing the organization in 2021, she has led national initiatives to improve access to communication technologies, strengthen professional capacity, and promote the rights of people with complex communication needs. Her work focuses on building sustainable AAC systems in developing countries through clinical practice, education, research, advocacy, and international collaboration. Mariam is an invited lecturer at Ilia State University and St. Andrew’s Georgian University, where she teaches courses on AAC and Assistive Technology for speech and language therapists and special education teachers. She recently completed her Master’s degree in Speech and Language Therapy at Ilia State University, where her research examined the impact of AAC intervention on communication skills and quality of life among autistic children and their caregivers. Her study represents the first quantitative evaluation of AAC intervention outcomes conducted in Georgia, providing evidence for the effectiveness of AAC in an emerging service system. Over the past several years, Mariam has coordinated and implemented numerous national and international projects designed to establish AAC services in Georgia. Through projects supported by the U.S. Embassy in Georgia, UNDP, the Polish Fund, USAID, MAC Georgia, the Ministry of Education of the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia, and other international partners, she has led the introduction of Assistive Technology and AAC into public schools, rehabilitation centres, universities, and community services. These initiatives have included professional training programmes, awareness campaigns, international conferences, university partnerships, and the provision of communication technologies to educational and rehabilitation settings throughout the country. Mariam has organized Georgia’s first international AAC conferences and training programmes featuring internationally recognised experts from Europe, the United States, and the Middle East. She has trained hundreds of speech and language therapists, special education teachers, occupational therapists, psychologists, rehabilitation professionals, and family members in evidence-based AAC assessment and intervention. Her work has also contributed to strengthening collaboration between universities, government institutions, disability organizations, and international partners to improve communication access for children and adults with complex communication needs. In addition to her educational and research activities, Mariam is an active international speaker. She has presented at conferences in Georgia, Armenia, Cyprus, and other international forums on topics including AAC implementation, Assistive Technology, inclusive education, crisis management, and service development in emerging contexts. Her work emphasizes practical strategies for translating international evidence into sustainable services in countries where AAC is still developing. A central focus of Mariam’s work is demonstrating that meaningful AAC outcomes can be achieved even in countries with limited infrastructure, newly established professional training, and restricted funding mechanisms. She is particularly interested in implementation science, interdisciplinary collaboration, communication rights, and the development of evidence-based AAC systems that are accessible to all individuals with complex communication needs regardless of where they live. Through research, teaching, advocacy, and international collaboration, Mariam continues to support the development of sustainable AAC services across Georgia while contributing to the growing international dialogue on expanding equitable access to communication in developing countries. She believes that communication is a fundamental human right and that every individual should have the opportunity to express themselves, participate in society, and live with dignity through access to appropriate communication supports.

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