Government websites and apps are a central lever for exercising our civic and constitutionally grounded rights and responsibilities of freedom of expression, assembly, grievance, petition, protest, jury duty, and the franchise. As a matter of right and necessity, people who need AAC must be afforded equally effective access to state and local government websites and apps that all others are afforded.
Last month, CommunicationFIRST submitted extensive input to one of the largest federal government funders of AAC-related research — the National…
Invited Remarks of CommunicationFIRST Policy Director Bob Williams to the Federal Communications Commission Task Force to Prevent Digital Discrimination September 14, 2023 Gallaudet…
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 7, 2023 Contact: Tauna Szymanski & Bob Williams at info@communicationfirst.org, 202-556-0573 WASHINGTON, D.C. — CommunicationFIRST,…
I escaped the very worst that hundreds of thousands of baby boomers like me endured: institutionalization, isolation, illiteracy, and silencing. We believe that many — and likely most — young people needing AAC today are suffering virtually the same fate I escaped over 50 years ago.
We encourage as many AAC users as possible to share your research priorities with NIDCD.
This is a plain language guide to research and why it is important. The government is asking people what kind…
We are naming ourselves. And we choose our words with great care. Our decisions are guided by respect for the diversity of our community and for every person’s right to choose the words they use for themselves.
It’s gratifying when policymakers #LISTEN! On November 21, 2022, CommunicationFIRST submitted comments to the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living,…
CommunicationFIRST is excited to announce the following additions to its leadership team: Our new Vice Chair is Pancho Ramirez Our…
On April 19, 2023, CommunicationFIRST was honored to be given an award from the Association of University Centers on Disabilities…
On June 20, 2022, the evening after Juneteenth, CommunicationFIRST Policy Director Bob Williams, and CommunicationFIRST Advisory Council member Devva Kasnitz…
Bob Williams delivering a eulogy at Judy Heumann’s memorial service at the Adas Israel Congregation synagogue in Washington, DC, on…
Like others in the disability community and around the world, everyone at CommunicationFIRST is devastated by the untimely loss of…
Content Warning: This post discusses police brutality against disabled people. On January 26, 2023, police in Huntington Park, California, fatally…
