Communication First

“I probably said two words in a day,” he says, “which meant I did a lot of thinking.”

“When people engage in conversation it is not just about two stationary heads,” he says. “We move our whole bodies. Gestures are an innate part of communication, and recent research suggests that these movements can actually influence the articulatory system and the neural processes that organise speech.”

Exploring how the brain transforms thought into speech | Gates Cambridge Scholar-Elect Mac MacKay aims to understand the neural systems underlying multimodal communication

Advancing the Rights-Based Inclusion of People Who Need and Use AAC: A Guide to Allyship CommunicationFIRST outlines key principles for allies of AAC users, from presuming competence to creating safer, more inclusive communities.

Push back on the narrative of Medicaid being fraudulent or wasteful! Share your experiences with Medicaid & HCBS to inform the upcoming Senate Budget Committee Hearing. Email your statement for the record to [email protected] by Wednesday, August 5 at 12pm ET.

[Image: A close-up of the palm of a person's hand. "No" is written on their palm in bold letters.]

Our partners at DREDF and AAPD released a new report on barriers to disability benefits. They found more barriers came about as the government cut staff and regional offices, replacing some with AI. lnk.to/barrier

📸 Photo Credit: Disabled and Here

[Image: While sharing a picnic blanket outside, a young autistic couple uses pens and notepads as AAC tools. On the left, a woman lays on her stomach and writes. On the right, a non-binary person sits and writes.]

Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund (DREDF)

American Association of People with Disabilities

We conducted focus groups with AAC users to better understand our community’s perspectives on artificial intelligence. Findings informed the Consumer Technology Association white paper on AI and accessibility: https://lnk.to/AIwhtppr.

[Image: Focus group participant Juan Cobeñas sits at a desk with a letter board laying in front of him.]

With George Washington University’s handy new tool, keep track of, and submit your own updates on how federal policy changes are impacting home and community-based services for disabled people: lnk.to/trackHCBS.

📸 Photo Credit: Disabled and Here

[Image: A disabled genderfluid person types on a laptop while wearing compression gloves. The hands and keyboard are the focal point.]

For our July theme of AAC and Independence, this powerful compilation from Communication First shows something important: AAC independence looks different for every person.

"All Our Voices: Showcasing the Diversity of AAC" is a short (5:51) video featuring eight AAC users affiliated with CommunicationFIRST. Their communication methods are as unique as they are:

Grant Blasko types to communicate: "The truth is we are working way harder to be heard than we get credit for."

Lateef McLeod types into an AAC app on his laptop, iPad, and iPhone.

Bob Williams uses a speech-generating device, accessing words by spelling or by stringing symbols together.

Pancho Ramirez uses a head-mounted laser light to point to letters on a wall-mounted letter board.

Jordyn Zimmerman types on an AAC app and shares that "ableism is a real challenge" when people presume incapability.

Tim Jin uses a communication device at the base of his wheelchair, typing with his toes.

Niko Boskovic spells on a letter board with his mom as his communication partner, and does not hesitate to correct her when she gets his age wrong.

Devva Kasnitz uses revoicing, where a partner repeats her speech in real time. As Devva says: "I don't wanna just be in the room. I want to have the opportunity to fully participate."

Eight communicators. Eight different access methods. Every one of them independent, and every one of them interdependent with the tools, partners, and communities that make their voices heard.

This is what AAC and Independence really looks like.

Watch "All Our Voices: Showcasing the Diversity of AAC": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XO82e6qf6fE

[Image description: screenshot of Grant Blasko typing on an AAC device to start the video.]

We should not have to prove that we deserve healthcare. The federal government has a new rule that could make it harder for people who need AAC to keep Medicaid. Send in your comments to oppose this by July 31 at 11:59pm ET! Use our helpful tips: https://lnk.to/wrkreq.

📸 Photo credit: Norma Mortenson

[Image: A small group of people use a laptop outdoors. A closeup shot focuses on their hands.]