We’re still processing the crushing news about the passing of CommunicationFIRST friend and Advisory Council member Alice Wong. We were made better by her work. Read about some of her AAC and communication-disability-related activism.
With mixed feelings, we share the news that CommunicationFIRST’s co-founder Bob Williams is retiring.
![[Image: Bob Williams wears a plaid cap and glasses. He sits in a powerchair with a microphone near his speech-generating device. Behind him is the US Capitol building. Image credit: Alison Chandra.]](https://communicationfirst.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Bob-Williams-Protect-Medicaid-Remarks-by-Alison-Chandra-1-1600x2133.jpg)
During the last week of July 2025, Caring Across Generations, CommunicationFIRST, and other partners held a 60-Hour Protect Medicaid Vigil. This vigil showed Congress the huge importance of Medicaid to many constituents with disabilities and their allies. During the vigil, CommunicationFIRST’s Co-Founder Bob Williams gave the following personal remarks.
We interviewed our own Dr. Lateef McLeod about his dissertation on peer mentorship between AAC users. He showed the importance of offering mentorship by us, for us, and co-created mentorship spaces accessible to people who use a variety of forms of AAC.
The journal of Augmentative and Alternative Communication published papers from our Future of AAC Research Summit! Nearly all of the 21 papers are authored or co-authored by someone who uses AAC. Access these papers and watch many of the authors present now.
Earlier this week, Virginia adopted its first law expressly addressing augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). Read our summary and statement of the law here.
Read CommunicationFIRST’s statement in response to the planned elimination of the Administration for Community Living.
Medicaid is at risk! Your elected representatives need to hear how losing your Medicaid waiver would change your life. This Policy Advocacy for AAC Users toolkit provides some tips.
Share how Medicaid cuts would hurt you or those around you who need Medicaid to stay in the community. We put together some resources from our amazing partners to make this easy!
Sophie Bohnen navigates the world with a whisper. When Sophie developed Laryngeal Dystonia, she adopted a voice amplification device and found her voice in advocacy. Sophie is creating a platform for people who go unheard to share their stories.
In celebration of Bill of Rights Day, Bob Williams reflects on the power free expression holds for those of us who cannot rely on speech alone to be heard and understood.
This resource includes quick tips written by AAC users on organizing and hosting online meetings with AAC users.