Being given all the tools to communicate is brilliant.  However, being human there are sometimes unexpected physical and environmental factors that impact our output. Occasionally however hard I try I just don’t seem to be able to make my body support direct input to communicate using AAC.   By occasional I...

Using AAC at home and in the wider community has to be a real goal in my mind.  Schools are reactive environments for many children who use AAC, answering questions in the closed context of the lesson. Or maybe making functional choices at break times. By comparison outside school there...

We live in a society where we supposedly have the right to freedom of speech.  The majority of the population can say what they think, when they want and where they want.  Speech is a privilege that many people take for granted. I’d like to turn this concept on its...

I love to travel, however, going away is never easy with a disability. We love seeing family and friends too. My grandpa and one uncle live down south, but so do a lot of friends and family who we are really close to. Partly because the first 19 years of...

I’ve been speaking in public since I was 11, back in 2005.  The very first time I was in front of an audience I felt hesitant but I got really good feedback.  I’d been asked to share a few thoughts about how I felt as a communication aid user with...

I’ve spent several years using spoon theory to effectively explain to others my physical energy and fatigue levels. However, I realise that spoon theory could also be adapted to self-management of my speech production. There is a definite link between my physical energy and fatigue levels and my speech production...

I've been a committee member on the International Communication Rights Alliance (ICRA) since January 2021. ICRA has been working towards operationalising communication rights for those with comprehensive communication needs.  Jacob Matthews of Australia and I had the opportunity to speak on behalf of ICRA at the opening of the 27th...