"Access. Opportunity. Justice." is written above the round CommunicationFIRST logo in black and white, with the tagline "Because communication is a human right." On the right is the Giving Tuesday logo and the words: "Support the fight for communication justice and equity!"

We postponed our 4th birthday fundraiser in early October due to world events. This week, we are combining Giving Tuesday with that annual fundraiser and setting an ambitious goal of raising $25,000 by December 1! Help us celebrate our birthday and Giving Tuesday at the same time. We cannot advance our mission to improve the civil rights of people with speech disabilities without your support. The first $2,500 was matched by the law firm of Vanaman German LLP. The next $7,000 in contributions will be matched by The Gupta Foundation! Thank you for your generosity!

$25,150 of $25,000 raised

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    Donation Total: $250.00 One Time

    With your help, over the past 4 years, we have begun to transform the national conversation about the legal rights and lived experiences of people who need and use augmentative and alternative (AAC) tools and supports. We are ensuring conversations at the federal and state level around policy issues that impact us – guardianship, access to health care, restraint and seclusion, education, access to justice, employment, institutionalization, effective communication, and more – include our voices and address our interests. We are ambitious and unrelenting disabled advocates who believe in radical inclusion and acceptance. We are fighting to change hearts and minds, and to build a world that centers justice, community, dignity, and humanity. And we are just getting started. We have so much more to do and with your help, we will!
    Flyer in yellow and green with the words "Running for Office with a Speech Disability: A live webinar: December 15, 2021, 2:30-4:00 pm ET." Circular headshots of Coleman Watson, 2022 US Senate Candidate (a smiling, dark-haired Black man wearing a suit); India Ochs, 2020 School Board Candidate (a smiling, brown-haired White woman wearing a colorful top); Sascha Bittner, Guest Moderator (a smiling, auburn-haired White-appearing woman wearing a red and black top); and Angelica Vega, Guest Moderator (a smiling, black-haired Afro-Latina woman wearing a black and white top), with the green, black and white CommunicationFIRST logo at the bottom

    Running for Office with a Speech Disability

    By Communication First | December 8, 2021

    Have you ever thought about running for political office? Here’s your chance to hear from four people with speech-related disabilities…

    image of US Supreme Court

    Restraint and Seclusion Litigation Against Fairfax County Public Schools Is Resolved

    By Communication First | November 24, 2021

    We are pleased to announce that CommunicationFIRST, the Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN), the Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates…

    A black and white sketch line drawing of the face and shoulders of a Latinx-appearing man wearing glasses, a baseball cap, a moustache and goatee, wearing headphones and a head mouse with a slight smile on his face

    Meet Pancho Ramirez, CommunicationFIRST’s Newest Board Member!

    By Communication First | November 22, 2021

    Pancho Ramirez is CommunicationFIRST’s newest Board member. As a Mexican immigrant farmworker, he acquired his speech disability in 2003 at…

    Image has text that reads "Request for Public Comment: The IACC invites public comment to inform the development of the 2021-2022 IACC Strategic Plan" with images with the covers of former strategic plans and the logo of the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee

    Tell the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee to Support Nonspeaking People and Communication Access!

    By Communication First | November 21, 2021

    The U.S. Government‘s Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) helps determine how federal government money related to autism is spent. Although…

    partial image of an AAC device with the words "taking access and choice away is terrorizing"

    Guest Blog: Communication Barriers Faced by AAC Users in Accessing Health Care

    By Communication First | November 19, 2021

    by endever* corbin This guest blog is adapted from a presentation given at the August 2021 Reinventing Quality conference. I’m…

    abstract image of the back of a male-appearing black person with short black curly hair wearing a peach colored shirt who appears to be sitting at a desk in the back of a classroom

    CommunicationFIRST to DC Council: Eliminate IQ Requirement to Qualify for Services

    By Communication First | November 15, 2021

    On November 5, 2021, CommunicationFIRST’s Policy Director, Bob Williams, submitted written testimony to urge the DC Council (Washington, DC’s legislative…

    Text says "AAC Users Interview Jordyn Zimmerman - November 10, 2021 - 7:00 pm ET" Image of Jordyn, a young white adult woman with long brown hair sitting on a stage typing on an augmentative communication device, next to a flyer of the documentary film "This Is Not About Me"

    AAC Users Interview Jordyn Zimmerman (Updated with Recordings)

    By Communication First | October 29, 2021

    On November 10, 2021, CommunicationFIRST hosted an opportunity for AAC users to interview Jordyn Zimmerman about the new documentary This…

    Film laurels "Winner Astoria Film Festival 2021" LISTEN #ListenToNonspeakers on black white lettering and CommunicationFIRST logo in green and blue

    LISTEN wins Film Festival Award!

    By Communication First | October 7, 2021

    We are thrilled and humbled to share that our film LISTEN: Made by and with Nonspeaking Autistics won the Zukor…

    Film poster with yellow background for This Is Not About Me documentary with images of a penguin, a small dog, and the upper body of a woman with a daisy super-imposed on her head. Bottom of the poster days "With the support of" and the logos for the Autistic Self Advocacy Network, AssistiveWare, CommunicationFIRST, and Thinking Person's Guide to Autism

    This Is Not About Jordyn

    By Communication First | October 6, 2021

    On October 13, 2021, CommunicationFIRST is excited to join with the Autistic Self Advocacy Network, Thinking Person’s Guide to Autism,…