I want to talk about AAC representation on TV, and why it is so so important.
I am currently only aware of five nonspeaking characters in TV shows and movies, and only two of them are represented in a way that makes me as a nonspeaking person feel actually seen. The majority are disrespectful mockeries of nonspeaking people.
It is so important to be able to see people like you. It is so important. Without representation, it feels like people who look like me and act like me are weird or that we are at least meant to feel that way. It feels like we are not seen, and listened to. If we were, and we were fully accepted as existent humans with complex thoughts and identities, we would be shown on television the same way speaking people are. There would be a main character who has a best friend that is a nonspeaking autistic who works in fashion. There would be a main character with speech apraxia who loves making clay mation and makes a career out of that. There would be a queer nonspeaking person with cerebral palsy who is a video game designer. AND MORE (obviously). We would be shown as people with cool and unique careers, interests, etc. Currently, most of the "representation" is either there to help another character get further development, or the character is litterally just "look!! I am disabled!" and exists purely as a character with absolutely zero personality that only exists to exist as a disabled character.
If I had representation that showed people like me as ACTUAL PEOPLE, my disability would not only be so much less stigmatized, but I would feel less anxious to exist in public.
The frequency of which I am fake claimed would decrease, my confidence would increase, staring would decrease, etc.
As someone who uses an AAC device every day, I want to see more representation and understanding of this technology in the media. Let’s start including all types of communication in our storytelling and break down the stigma surrounding AAC devices.