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Stefanie K. Sachse, Ph.D., is a research associate at the University of Cologne at the Department for Special Education, where she leads the Research Center for Literacy and Inclusion. Her work bridges the fields of literacy, inclusion, and Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC), with a balanced focus on research and practical applications in educational settings. Recent projects have centered around literacy and inclusion in early childhood education, model classroom implementation, and a podcast on Literacy & AAC. Her work aims to improve access to high-quality literacy instruction for all learners, especially those with severe disabilities.

Renate Valtin, professor of education (emerita), Humboldt University Berlin, Germany. She holds a Ph.D. and Teacher Examination degree form Hamburg University. Renate has done extensive empirical research in literacy (dyslexia, beginning readers, struggling readers and spellers)  and served in many literacy related committees, among others: Reading Expert Group of PIRLS 2006 and German team of PIRLS (2001 – 2016), EU-High Level Group on Literacy (2011-12), ELINET (European Literacy Policy Network (2014 - ). She is (co)author of didactic materials for beginning readers and struggling readers and writers. Among her accomplishments, she has received the award Reading Hall of Fame (2000)