#aac user

[postmanic]

a comic about aac

Happy AAC Awareness Month!

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[the-kneecap-god]

Normalize not using full sentences using aac.

Normalize using small words with aac.

Normalize not bullying or making fun of someone who is verbose when able to speak but isn't when using aac.

Normalize being patient for an aac speaker to type.

Normalize aac users in general.

[chrome-barkz-aac]

i dont think non aac users will ever understand the helplessness that we feel in regards to communication.

your device pronounces a word wrong. laughter. its fine, just go with it. but thats not what you meant. the meaning is changed. you type it differently, hoping to trick the program into saying it right. it doesnt.

your device bugs. you have to use a voice that does not match how you feel inside. you feel dysphoric like you did before you went on t. laughter from others. its fine because it has to be.

someone makes a bigoted remark to another person. you are typing as fast as you can - "that's not okay, you need to apologize" - your hands are shaking with the effort to be fast. the conversation moves on before you can hit "play". harm has been done and you have no control over it.

you navigate through a few folders. you want the word "sun". you keep hitting the button next to it, cloud. you hit delete. try again. you hit cloud. delete. try again. you hit cloud. over and over again. your body seems to have a mind of its own. it is frustrating. it is so so easy for everyone else.

your tablet is in the other room and you are trying to fingerspell. you want to sign "d". you see the shape your hand needs to be in in your mind. you keep signing "f". your hand will not make the correct finger go up and the rest go down.

the other person is trying to be patient. but theyre not. theyre frustrated. theyre trying not to show it. theyre frustrated. theyre frustrated. it radiates out from their body and makes your blood run cold. you're nauseous. you are always waiting for someone to lose their patience. it has happened before. it will happen again.

"do you understand how hard it is for us to get used to this" they say. youre about to cry. and if you, the aac user, if you show frustration, anger, sadness, anxiety, about not being able to communicate - you are difficult. "if you tried harder to speak, we wouldn't have these problems" - it stays unspoken but you hear it echoing in their words, on their faces, on the exhale of breath as they put their hands in their lap and call you "sweetie."

[unwell-radio-transmissions]

what 'cyberpunk dystopia already exists for disabled people' looks like for high tech aac users:

(here using 'voice' to mean both an aac program and an aac device.)

Your voice used to be free but now is behind a paywall. Your voice only runs on a subscription payment model and doesn't offer outright purchasing. The cost of outright purchasing your voice is several hundred dollars. Your voice runs ads. Your voice has planned obsolescence. Your voice ran out of funding and is no longer being updated. Your voice is free but requires coding knowledge to create. Your voice can only be used and accessed with a wifi connection. The people most trained to help you with your voice are expensive or unavailable specialists. You require additional aids to use your voice that are difficult to get and/or expensive.

Feel free to add on your own experiences. We listen to and look out for each other.

[pixierainbows]

Pixies First book with adult aac users !

And !

First time ever see any kind of media with 2 aac users actually talking to each other using their AAC devices !!!

[asexual-amanita]

Ok, I’m not the best person to be saying this, but the reason half of y’all* hate the new autistic Barbie doll is just aspie supremacy and racism.

Like, “oh no! For once a higher support needs, AAC using, autistic woman of colour is in the spotlight! God help us all!” (Sarcasm)

Seriously, the whole argument about how the doll sucks because autism “doesn’t have a look” is foolish. Autism does have a look, but it’s not one single look. Many high support needs individuals are visibly autistic, stop erasing their existence.

I’m not going into the racism part, because I’m still in the process of educating myself about the topic, but needless to say, I’ve seen some pretty outright racist comments and takes on this new doll.

*not all of you, but many of you.

(Capitalism and the whole deal with Mattel is a valid reason to not like the doll, however this post is not about that.)

[zebulontheplanet]

Yes. Some autistic people can pay taxes, write poems, live an independent life, etc.

But some of us cant. Some of us, like me, cant live independently. Cant be without someone. Cant be a member of society without extreme accommodation and help.

I need help in everyday life. I have a caregiver for gods sake. I need help in everyday life and will never be independent. It’s frustrating to constantly get comments about how autistic people can live independently. Cause some of us cant, and that needs to be talked about. I get sores from not showering enough. I get sores from my wheelchair. I have cavities from not brushing my teeth enough.

Life with higher support needs shouldn’t be something that is ignored and not talked about. My caregiver helps me live life as independently as possible. Independence looks different for everyone. Our caregivers are an extension of ourselves. Our caregivers are important and should be recognized. Stop throwing us under the bus for your “salvation”

We are all at risk, and throwing higher support needs people under the bus will not benefit you. You’re ruining years of advocacy by your words and videos.

[yeoldecryptid]

Okay, I just learned we got the worlds first nonverbal voice actor, and as a semi verbal person who has wanted to see more AAC users in media FRIGGIN FINALLY. Seriously, I’m just happy people understand that the statement ‘nonverbal voice actor’ is not an oxymoron.

Edit: People kept bringing up Madison Bandy, who played Renee in the Pixar short film ‘Loops.’ She is indeed earlier. Some news articles were misrepresenting Odin Frost. However, he is the first nonverbal voice actor in a kids show, and Paulo, the character he portrays, is the first full time AAC user in a kids show, as far as I’m aware.