A Long Overdue Revolution for Non-Speakers
There’s a quiet revolution underway, and it’s changing the world for non-speakers. Across the globe, individuals once thought to be trapped in silence are proving that they have voices—powerful, intelligent, and deeply insightful voices. This movement, led by non-speakers and their families, is a long-overdue reckoning with society’s outdated biases and assumptions. But revolutions rarely […]
Building Bridges: Stone’s Journey from Student to Advocate
Sometimes, life takes you in a direction you never imagined. And in those moments, you realize just how much is possible. This past fall, Stone and I participated in a webinar hosted by the Northwest Augmentative Communication Society titled “Thoughtful Inquiry: Spelling for Communication.” Its purpose was to give SLPs an opportunity to hear directly […]
Unlocking Potential: How the Curb Cut Effect Amplifies Advocacy for Non-Speakers
Imagine a simple design choice—a slight dip in a sidewalk curb—that transforms accessibility for wheelchair users. Now, think about how this small change also benefits parents with strollers, travelers with luggage, and workers pushing carts. This phenomenon, known as the curb cut effect, goes far beyond sidewalks. It illustrates a universal truth: when we design […]
Reframing the Narrative: Why It’s Time to Evolve “Spelling” into ACC and CC-ers
As we’ve walked this journey, it’s become clear that the term “Spelling” falls short of fully capturing what this process is all about. It doesn’t address the depth of cognitive capability or the remarkable autonomy that non-speakers like Stone demonstrate.
