The words "See us. Hear us." with the CommunicationFIRST logo and tagline, "Because communication is a human right."

People with Communication Disabilities Speak Out

Digital Storytelling and Advocacy

The See Us, Hear Us Campaign aims to elevate the voices, perspectives, and diversity of the millions of people in the US who cannot rely on speech alone to be heard and understood, regardless of disability or condition. Bias, stereotypes, and discrimination have led society to assume that not being able to speak means not being able to think. That mindset means most of us are denied access to robust, effective augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) tools and supports that would provide us agency and self-determination. With no way to communicate using language, we experience lifelong social isolation.

The first two videos in the See Us, Hear Us series (Jordyn Zimmerman and Lateef McLeod) were produced by Emmy award-winning filmmaker Dan Habib, and won a 2023 Anthem Award. The third (Bob Williams) was produced by SchoolTalk and generously supported by grants from HumanitiesDC and the District of Columbia Developmental Disabilities Council.

To support the See Us, Hear Us Campaign, please reach out to info@communicationfirst.org and help us create 7-9 additional films illustrating the diversity, strength, and humanity of our community.

Bob Williams

Headshot of Bob Williams, an older white man with white hair wearing a red vest and bowtie with a button up white-ish long-sleeved dress shirt. He is smiling at the camera in his home office, with various framed photos and a wooden letterboard behind him

Jordyn Zimmerman

Jordyn Zimmerman, a young woman with long brown wavy hair stands smiling at the camera. She is wearing a dressy-ish yellow tank top.

Lateef McLeod

Lateef McLeod, a black man wearing a blue striped dress shirt, smiles at the camera from his power wheelchair.