CommunicationFIRST

& below it is the text: Because communication is a human right.]

(3/3)

submission by Jacob Bradley; photo captured by Jeanne Bradley.

[Image: Jacob Bradley stands in the middle of a crowd, holding a US flag & a sign featuring an AAC device screenshot & a photo of himself, with the words Medicaid Saves Lives. Above this scene is the CommunicationFIRST logo,...

(2/3)

[Image: Jacob Bradley stands in the middle of a crowd, holding a US flag & a sign featuring an AAC device screenshot & a photo of himself, with the words Medicaid Saves Lives. Above this scene is the CommunicationFIRST logo, & below it is the text: Because communication is a human right.]

We are so grateful for all the #GivingTuesday donations we’ve received in the past few days! Your support helps us keep fighting for the rights of people with speech-related #disabilities. If you haven’t given yet, please consider supporting us this week. lnk.to/givingt

📷: #VisibleAAC...

(1/3)

Our #GivingTuesday fundraiser! lnk.to/givingt

classroom, a woman and a young girl sit at a table with two tablets on it. They are focused on the tablet closest to them, which the girl is using.]

(2/2)

[Image: In a classroom, a woman and a young girl sit at a table with two tablets on it. They are focused on the tablet closest to them, which the girl is using.]

CommunicationFIRST is committed to ensuring that all people with speech-related disabilities are respected, supported, & valued members of their communities. Consider including communication advocacy in your #GivingTuesday plans; donate any amount you can: lnk.to/givingt

[Image: In a…

(1/2)

shirt that says “Speech does not make someone more human.” She holds an AAC device and a jacket. Behind her, partly cloudy skies and a tree-lined cityscape stretch into the distance.]

(2/2)

[Image: Jordyn Zimmerman sits smiling on a rooftop bench, wearing a shirt that says “Speech does not make someone more human.” She holds an AAC device and a jacket. Behind her, partly cloudy skies and a tree-lined cityscape stretch into the distance.]

Just in time for your holiday shopping: Jordyn’s shirt is back! At this link only until 12/4: lnk.to/shpc. Give a gift that supports communication #advocacy. #SpeechDoesNotMakeSomeoneMoreHuman

@jordynbzim.bsky.social

[Image: Jordyn Zimmerman sits smiling on a rooftop bench, wearing a…

(1/2)

[Video Clip: Alice Wong in her wheelchair with a tracheostomy at her neck connected to a ventilator. Wearing an orange top and bright red lipstick, Alice shares her remarks, “How Ableism Impacts People Who Need and Use AAC,” which she prepared for The Future of AAC Research Summit.]

We’re still processing the crushing news about the passing of CommunicationFIRST friend and Advisory Council member #AliceWong. We were made better by her work. Read about some of her #AAC and communication-disability-related activism and legacy here: lnk.to/alicew

@sfdirewolf.bsky.social...

1/2

[Image: A fair-skinned person with light brown, shoulder-length hair, and dark brown eyes sits looking at the camera with a slight smile. She is wearing glasses and a knitted shawl fastened by a clasp.]

2/2

[Image: A fair-skinned person with light brown, shoulder-length hair, and dark brown eyes sits looking at the camera with a slight smile. She is wearing glasses and a knitted shawl fastened by a clasp.]

Welcome our new Director of Policy & Legal Advocacy, Sam Crane! Sam is a Harvard-trained lawyer with particular legal & policy experience in #CommunicationRights, long-term supports & services, & supported decision-making as an alternative to guardianship. lnk.to/crane

@samanticka.bsky.social

1/2

the text: Because communication is a human right.]

3/3

Williams sits at the head of the Roosevelt Room conference table in the White House with his AAC device mounted on his power chair. He is laughing along with President Obama, Attorney General Holder, & other disability leaders. Above this photo is the CommunicationFIRST logo, & below it is…

2/3

[Image: Bob Williams sits at the head of the Roosevelt Room conference table in the White House with his AAC device mounted on his power chair. He is laughing along with President Obama, Attorney General Holder, & other disability leaders. Above this photo is the CommunicationFIRST logo, & below it is the text: Because communication is a human right.]

We love showcasing our community in our #VisibleAAC photo bank. Any #AACUser who wants to share a photo of yourself &/or your #AAC, email info@communicationfirst.org with PHOTOS in the subject line, or you can hashtag #VisibleAAC if you post. You may appear in our comms efforts!

[Image: Bob…

1/3

[Image: Collage containing both photos of Bob & photos of Bob enjoying the company of others whose paths are intertwined with his. The collage is set on green.]

[Image: Collage containing both photos of Bob & photos of Bob enjoying the company of others whose paths are intertwined with his. The collage is set on blue.]

[Image: Collage containing both photos of Bob & photos of Bob enjoying the company of others whose paths are intertwined with his. The collage is set on black.]

[Image: Collage containing both photos of Bob & photos of Bob enjoying the company of others whose paths are intertwined with his. The collage is set on gray.]

[Images: Collages containing both photos of Bob & photos of Bob enjoying the company of others whose paths are intertwined with his. The collages are each set on one of CommunicationFIRST’s brand colors].

(2/2)

[Image: Collage containing both photos of Bob & photos of Bob enjoying the company of others whose paths are intertwined with his. The collage is set on white.]

With mixed feelings, we share that our co-founder Bob Williams is retiring from an incredible 4-decade career serving the #DisabilityCommunity. His tireless, principled advocacy has changed lives, & CommunicationFIRST wouldn't exist without his leadership. lnk.to/retiring

(1/2)

panelists and ASL interpreter. Bob Williams says: “History is never neutral. We can leverage it for knowledge and greater justice, or we can let its worst consequences linger and metastasize.”]

(2/2)

It’s been 100 years since DC’s #ForestHaven institution for people with I/DD opened. Watch our webinar on its closure, featuring two former residents & our own Bob Williams, an advocate for #CommunityLiving & the #Medicaid programs that make it possible. lnk.to/fhyt

[Video: Webinar…

(1/2)

Thank you so much, Amanda! We will post here when we publish our recording of the webinar. We’ll be burning in closed captions and preparing a transcript before we can share it.

[Image: A smiling Jordyn Zimmerman takes her place at a conference table. On the table in front of Jordyn is her #AAC device, an iPad.]

2/2

[Image: A smiling Jordyn Zimmerman takes her place at a conference table. On the table in front of Jordyn is her AAC device, an iPad.]

Our Board Chair Jordyn Zimmerman advocates that people who need & use AAC must be leaders & co-designers of AAC technologies. She writes about this in Impact, a journal from the Institute on Community Integration. She's featured in its 40 Big Ideas issue! lnk.to/bigidea @jordynbzim.bsky.social

1/2

different colors against a dark background, representing a neural network.]

(2/2)

[Image: A swirl of different colors against a dark background, representing a neural network.]

We'd like to extend a big thank you to everyone who participated in our #ArtificialIntelligence webinar! Whether or not you could make it, please take this short survey to help us gauge what you know about #AI & how tools like AI shape your communication: lnk.to/aisurvey.

[Image: A swirl of…

(1/2)

is this quote: “Whether you are an AI optimist, skeptic, or pessimist, none of us can afford to be fatalists. When we resign ourselves to the inevitability of oppressive systems, we give in to a desperate world.”]

3/3

[Image: Blue graphic titled, AI 101 for AAC Users. Text reads: Webinar Featuring Rua Mae Williams, Author of “Disabling Intelligences.” The graphic displays a webinar date of 1:30 - 3:00 PM ET October 22, 2025, the CommunicationFIRST logo, and a headshot of Dr. Williams. Next to their headshot…

2/3

[Image: Blue graphic titled, AI 101 for AAC Users. Text reads: Webinar Featuring Rua Mae Williams, Author of “Disabling Intelligences.” The graphic displays a webinar date of 1:30 - 3:00 PM ET October 22, 2025, the CommunicationFIRST logo, and a headshot of Dr. Williams. Next to their headshot is this quote: “Whether you are an AI optimist, skeptic, or pessimist, none of us can afford to be fatalists. When we resign ourselves to the inevitability of oppressive systems, we give in to a desperate world.”]

#AI has much potential for people who need & use #AAC – potential that could be good, bad, & ugly. Wednesday learn more in this webinar with Purdue's Dr. Rua Mae Williams, author of Disabling Intelligences: Legacies of Eugenics & How We Are Wrong About AI. lnk.to/ai101

@fractalecho.bsky.social

1/3

headshots of Bethany Stevens, Cherry Kaufman, Rise, & Bianca I Laureano." RSVP for free at rideaheadfilm.com/webinars is at the bottom of the graphic.]

(4/4)

[Image: A navy, yellow, & orange graphic for two Our Ride Ahead webinars. Text reads "Part 1: Disability & Dating. October 24, 7pm ET. Ages 16+" with headshots of Bianca I Laureano & Evan Sweeney. Then "Part 2: Disability, Romance, & Sexual Health. November 6, 6:30pm ET. 18+" with...

(3/4)

disability and dating (ages 16+), and part 2 will take place on November 6 at 6:30pm ET to discuss disability, romance, and sexual health (ages 18+). Learn more and register! Our Ride Ahead webinars are free and open to the public. Live captioning and ASL interpretation will be provided. ...

(2/4)