Guest Blog | CommunicationFIRST

Two Black men kneeling on a stage facing the audience. One is behind the other and his hands are on the biceps of the man in front, who is wearing a grey tanktop and white trousers. Both men have serious looks on their faces. The man in back has long hair and a short beard, and his face is partially obscured by the man in front. The man in front is Lateef McLeod and he has very short hair with a hint of a beard. His hands are balled into relaxed fists and are laying on top of each other at the wrist. They are bathed in a warm light, and the background is bathed in an electric blue light.

So Much

February 14, 2023 Communication FIRST

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I hear their painful cries jut up from cracks on the street.

The block is a scorching frying pan,

frying my brothers on the pavement.

GUEST ESSAY: Off Key from the Start, Sia’s Music Fails to Ring True for Nonspeaking Autistics

February 12, 2021 Communication First

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I had to stop watching the movie because I found it too disturbing to continue to do so.

A Black non-binary person with a filtering face mask walks down a neighborhood street with one hand in their pocket and the other hand on their cane. They have a short mohawk and are wearing a jacket, shorts, tennis shoes, and glasses.

Dear Parents Who Want to Keep Their Nonspeaking Children Safe as They Go Out Into the World

January 27, 2021 Communication First

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Every day, your child is growing up, and there is a world out there for them. You want that for them – you want everything for them – and yet, the world can be a scary place.

image of empty lectern with American flags and a "Vote" placard

Communication Disabilities and the 2020 Presidential Debates

October 23, 2020 Communication First

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by Angelica Vega, Guest Blogger If there were one word to describe the First Presidential Debate between President Donald…

Angelica Vega, a woman in her early 20s with brown skin and curly brown hair wearing a sleeveless brown dress standing in front of a white boat railing with blue skies and a body of water in the background and Manhattan skyscrapers in the distance. She is wearing red lipstick and has her mouth open as if in pleasant surprise.

When Professors Are Welcoming: Disability Inclusion Practices in the Classroom

August 26, 2020 Communication First

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Professor Simms’ course is an excellent example for instructors to follow, even after the pandemic ends. Open communication, with a commitment to disability inclusion in the classroom, is what ought to be exhibited by every instructor. Societal changes start at the community level, with education laying the foundation. As I watched my online commencement with my family and friends, I looked towards the future in hope, anticipating the day when the validation and accommodation of students and their experiences would be commonplace for all.

What Is My Name?

February 22, 2020 Communication First

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I often wonder if something as basic as my name is so difficult for people to understand, then how are they supposed to understand anything about my personality, my core, the basic essence of my being. How was I supposed to come across as smart, snarky, sexy Melissa Crisp if everyone heard Marissa Crap tumble from my lips?

wood plank hand-carved with capital letters A-Z and numbers

Making Communication a Reality for All

October 2, 2019 Communication First

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We can and must advocate together for the human and civil right to effective communication for all children and adults, regardless of condition, disability, and support need. Here is why I believe this is CommunicationFIRST’s urgent, essential duty.