If you are truly interested in understanding the needs and experiences of being autistic and non-speaking, avoid mainstream coverage and evidence-rejecting "advocates." Instead, follow orgs like @communicationfirst.bsky.social & also people like @neuroscientist.bsky.social & @jordynbzim.bsky.social.

Congrats to our friends Samuel & Dan Habib on winning the Emmy Award for Outstanding #SocialIssue Documentary! Watch their film #TheRideAhead on 6/30 at 1pm PT/4pm ET. CommunicationFIRST Board Member Judy Heumann & co-founder Bob Williams are interviewed! lnk.to/rascreen [Image: Co-directors… 1/2

F&R and @dredf.bsky.social filed an amicus brief to protect the right of individual disabled people to challenge discrimination by executive agencies, including the President. We support the NAD’s efforts to make the WH provide ASL interpreters. #disabilityrights foxrob.com/2026/06/03/f...

Our Director of Policy & Legal Advocacy Sam Crane spoke at Healthier Together! Sam, Henry Claypool (Brandeis’s Community Living Policy Center) & Michelle Meade (Univ. of MI Center for Disability Health & Wellness) discussed #HealthCare best practices for people with disabilities. 1/4

“Every message already takes attention, motor planning, & time,” says Hari Srinivasan, Neuroscience Ph.D. candidate & #AACUser. “When technology adds corrections & guesswork, it compounds that effort.” He explains how engineered exclusion harms #AACUsers: lnk.to/desdig. @neuroscientist.bsky.social

Father’s Day will be here sooner than you think. Be ready to show the father figures in your life some love. Get them (and the whole family!) CommunicationFIRST gear to help us win the fight for #CommunicationRights and #access: lnkfi.re/c1shp. [Image 1: A grandpa wearing a CommunicationFIRST… 1/3

Want to learn more about advocacy by & for people with speech-related disabilities? Subscribe to our newsletter! A few times each month, get updates on calls to action, programming, & the latest from our colleagues. lnkfi.re/nc1st 📸: #VisibleAAC photo from DJ Reinhardt [Image: A person sits… 1/2

Welcome our new Board Treasurer, Shubha Balabaer! They are a #DisabilityAdvocate, social & racial justice activist, & parent to a #nonspeaker. They help other parents connect to a broader #DisabilityJustice movement & ways of disability-centered parenting. lnk.to/shubha [Image: Shubha… 1/2

People with speech-related disabilities are a diverse community with a lot to say. We communicate with #AAC, including low-tech & high-tech tools & with support people like revoicers. Learn from us in our own words: watch All Our Voices. lnk.to/allvces [Video: First wearing a sweatshirt that says,…

In our series about AAC users in higher ed, Ren Koloni discusses their work on #disability & racial justice, Glenda Watson Hyatt discusses her thesis on employment discrimination of AAC users, & Lateef McLeod shares about his dissertation on peer supports. lnk.to/aachred @glendalwh.bsky.social 1/2

We attended the National Federation of the Blind’s tenBroek Disability Law Symposium. Our Director of Policy & Legal Advocacy Sam Crane presented on #SupportedDecisionMaking alongside #AACUser & SDM advocate Otto Lana, DREDF’s Ayesha Elaine Lewis, & ACLU’s Britt Belwine. @dredf.bsky.social @aclu.org

CommunicationFIRST Program Associate Ren Koloni shares their experience in graduate school as a multiply #disabled #AACUser. Ren discusses #access for our community and their research on #ableism in medical settings: lnk.to/RenGrad. [Image: Headshot of Ren Koloni accompanied by a quote. It says,...

It's not too early to start shopping for Mother’s Day. With some new #CommunicationRights gear, moms (and their sidekicks!) will look great and support our mission. Browse CommunicationFIRST shirts and accessories: lnkfi.re/c1shp. [Image: A woman holds a baby, both smiling broadly. The baby,… 1/2

Listen is a wonderful short film, if you haven't seen it yet. Because there is no #AutismAcceptanceMonth without autistic AAC users—including those who need, but don't currently have or use, AAC. Thank you @communicationfirst.bsky.social & film cast for your messages. communicationfirst.org/LISTEN/

#TheTruthAboutAutism is folks have a lot to say about it, but they are not listening to #nonspeakers. CommunicationFIRST firmly believes in the motto #NothingAboutUsWithoutUs. To learn about communication rights & access from autistic people, watch LISTEN: lnkfi.re/listenfilm. @autisticadvocacy.org

CommunicationFIRST has endorsed the 25th anniversary of the dedication of the once-controversial statue of former President Franklin D. Roosevelt in his wheelchair at the #FDR Memorial. Our co-founder Bob Williams attended 2001’s statue dedication with fellow #disability leaders. 📸 Image... 1/2

#Volunteer opening alert! If you’re experienced with #FinancialManagement, please apply to CommunicationFIRST’s Board as our Treasurer. We are seeking someone who is passionate about our mission and knowledgeable about #accounting and budget functions. lnk.to/treasurer [Image: Bold black… 1/2

#AliceWong would have been 52 this month. We feel Alice’s continued presence as we honor her legacy. Join us by taking action on a #DisabilityRights issue important to you and attending her memorial, which will be streamed on 3/25 at 2pm ET. lnk.to/alicemem @sfdirewolf.bsky.social #AliceIsLove 1/2

Are you attending this year’s #HealthierTogether Conference? CommunicationFIRST Director of Policy & Legal Advocacy Sam Crane is part of a panel of experts presenting on 5/13 & discussing #HealthCare best practices for people with #disabilities: lnk.to/hlthtog. @samanticka.bsky.social [Image:… 1/3

Our colleagues at the Autistic Self Advocacy Network created a toolkit to teach Medicaid 1115 waiver #advocacy. 1115 waivers let state governments make some changes, such as who gets #Medicaid, what Medicaid pays for, and what rules there are. Learn more: lnk.to/1115wat. @autisticadvocacy.org 1/2

March 5 is a National Call-In Day to protect special education and disability rights. Families and advocates are invited to contact Congress to support federal protections for students with disabilities. Call the Capitol Switchboard: 202-224-3121 Calling tips: https://bit.ly/IDEA-CALLING-TIPS

#JudyHeumann, one of our founding Board members, used this bridge for decades. DC’s Connecticut Ave Bridge was renamed Judith E. Heumann Memorial Bridge to honor her incredible commitment to #DisabilityRights. Sharing as we remember her on the 3-year anniversary of her passing 💙 … 1/2

At an Office of Special Education & Rehabilitative Services listening session, the plea of attendees was clear: don’t weaken oversight of equity in #SpecialEd. Learn ways to advocate & how OSERS has supported students like our Board Chair Jordyn Zimmerman. lnk.to/jzosers @jordynbzim.bsky.social 1/2

Nine states are targeting the integration mandate that protects disabled people from forced institutionalization. Learn what’s at stake and how to fight back. Feb 25 | 10:30am PT / 1:30pm ET Register: https://dredf-org.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Q1oN3icfRrCY36saLlwgJA#/registration

“Working together is vital to our survival more than ever,” says our co-founder Bob Williams. In an interview from (Un)Hidden: Disability Histories & Our World, Bob shares some of the history he participated in & calls us to act now for #DisabilityRights: lnk.to/unhidden. [Image: Bob… 1/2

In our newest guest blog, Glenda Watson Hyatt answers our questions about her recent master’s thesis on the employment (and #discrimination) of people with #SpeechDisabilities, including those who use #AAC: lnk.to/glenwh. @queensuresearch.bsky.social [Image: Glenda Watson Hyatt raises her… 1/2

Can’t believe it’s been 5 years since the award-winning short film LISTEN was released! Help us commemorate this impactful film with your own LISTEN shirt: lnkfi.re/c1shp. Sales support the fight for #CommunicationRights and #access. [Video: Montage of photos and video clips featuring… 1/3

Every student deserves to be safe at school. House & Senate leaders reintroduced the Keeping All Students Safe Act to protect students from #seclusion & dangerous #restraint in school. Learn how to help & learn about KASSA’s impact on our community here: lnk.to/KASSAblog @copaafape.bsky.social 1/2

Medicaid matters because it "enables me to oversee my own caregivers—including friends and other people I trust. That control matters deeply. It means I am not just receiving care; I am directing my life." -Marisa Conners with @communicationfirst.bsky.social: communicationfirst.org/medicaid-the...

“I was denied a communication navigator when my speech began to slur… When I became unable to speak, my cellmate pleaded for me.” Watch Aliya Rahman’s testimony about her experience being detained by #ICE.

Wiki Education gave a shout-out to our Board Director Pancho Ramirez for his work filling in #disability content gaps on Wikipedia: lnk.to/Panchowiki. He is an #AACUser who communicates using an airmouse or a laser pointer and letter board. @wikieducation.bsky.social [Image: A generative AI… 1/2

#DisabilityAdvocate, #AACUser, & fashionista, Marisa Conners, says her #Medicaid #HCBS waiver ensures her “needs & preferences are respected,” & it enables her to advocate & create in ways that align with her communication style. Learn how in her guest blog. lnk.to/marisa [Image: Marisa... 1/2

Such a great resource! Definitely check this out for tips for AAC users and allies to do policy advocacy!

#PublicPolicy refers to how our government turns our requests into rules & laws. In our Policy Advocacy 101 Webinar for AAC Users & Allies, #PolicyChange advocates, like Samuel Habib & Angelica Vega, share tips for advocating at all levels of #government. lnk.to/adv101 [Image: Policy Advocacy… 1/3

Representation is vital to #inclusion. That’s why we’re thrilled to see a Barbie #AACUser! Barbie and our colleagues at the Autistic Self Advocacy Network teamed up to create this #autistic Barbie who uses a pink AAC device, noise-canceling headphones, and a fidget. [Image: A Barbie in a… 1/2

With love, we remember Advisory Council member Devva Kasnitz (z”l), who we lost last January (1/25/25). She dedicated her career to creating the field of #DisabilityStudies and its infrastructure. Devva’s Room remains a space to learn #DisabilityHistory: lnk.to/devvasroom. [Video: Devva... 1/3

#AACUsers, if you are interested in participating in #AAC research, please join our research email distribution list: lnk.to/rlist. You will be first to know about studies paving the way to a better future for our community. Support persons are also welcome to sign up. 📷: @affecttheverb.com/… 1/2

The IDEA turned 50 earlier this year. It has guaranteed access to #AAC, therapy, aides, & our right to be educated alongside people without #disabilities. In the year ahead, tell your representatives the future you want to see for the IDEA. Resource here: lnk.to/adv101. [Video: Ricardo… (1/2)

It’s the season for sharing! Introduce us to someone new by tagging them in a comment, & we will enter you in our holiday giveaway. You could win a #CommunicationRights shirt of your choice from our Threadless shop. A winner will be randomly selected at the end of New Year’s Day. [Image: A… (1/2)

People who cannot rely on speech alone to be heard & understood must fight for their #rights. We help our community do just that. Help us start 2026 strong. Everyone who donates from December 15 - 31, 2025 will receive a CommunicationFIRST coaster! lnk.to/endyr [Image: Text reads,… (1/2)

It’s the season for sharing! Introduce us to someone new by tagging them in a comment, & we will enter you in our holiday giveaway. You could win a #CommunicationRights shirt of your choice from our Threadless shop. A winner will be randomly selected at the end of New Year’s Day. [Image: A… (1/2)

Interested in #PolicyAdvocacy? Want to find out how to influence policy? Check out our Policy Advocacy 101 Webinar: lnk.to/adv101. Learn tips and strategies from Angelica Vega, Samuel Habib, and more experts who advocate for #PolicyChange at all levels of #government. [Video: Angelica Vega… (1/2)

#JudyHeumann's 78th birthday would have been this week. We remember her commitment to #DisabilityRights by sharing Bob Williams’ See Us, Hear Us film, where Judy appears at 10:33. The film challenges us to create a world with disability rights as the norm. lnkfi.re/bsuhu [Video: A montage... (1/3)

Your support means the universe to us as we work to create a more just society for people with speech-related #disabilities. Please consider CommunicationFIRST in your year-end giving. We need your support to achieve our vision! lnk.to/endyr. Thank you! 📷 @affecttheverb.com… (1/2)

Our Board Member Toby Latham successfully advocated with the Virginia legislature to require educators to be trained to support each individual student’s unique #AAC-related needs before the school year starts! The VDOE released this 2-pager to explain the new law: lnk.to/vdoe. [Image: A… (1/2)

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

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)

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)

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