CommunicationFIRST
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communicationfirst.bsky.social
CommunicationFIRST
@communicationfirst.bsky.social
1K followers 130 following 160 posts
Disability-led 501(c)(3) protecting the civil rights of humans who cannot rely on speech alone to be heard and understood.
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communicationfirst.bsky.social
Representation is vital to #inclusion. That’s why we’re thrilled to see a Barbie #AACUser! Barbie and our colleagues at the Autistic Self Advocacy Network teamed up to create this #autistic Barbie who uses a pink AAC device, noise-canceling headphones, and a fidget.

[Image: A Barbie in a…

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[Image: A Barbie in a purple and white striped dress wears pink headphones and holds a pink AAC device. She holds a pink fidget in the other hand.]
January 13, 2026 at 8:30 PM
communicationfirst.bsky.social
With love, we remember Advisory Council member Devva Kasnitz (z”l), who we lost last January (1/25/25). She dedicated her career to creating the field of #DisabilityStudies and its infrastructure. Devva’s Room remains a space to learn #DisabilityHistory: lnk.to/devvasroom.

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January 9, 2026 at 10:06 PM
communicationfirst.bsky.social
#AACUsers, if you are interested in participating in #AAC research, please join our research email distribution list: lnk.to/rlist. You will be first to know about studies paving the way to a better future for our community. Support persons are also welcome to sign up.

📷: @affecttheverb.com/…

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[Image: A person with short, thick hair and prescription glasses sits at an organized workstation, using a magnification app to navigate a webpage. Their posture is proper and relaxed. On the desk: a computer, a mouse, a large desk lamp, and a small notebook.]
January 5, 2026 at 6:55 PM
communicationfirst.bsky.social
The IDEA turned 50 earlier this year. It has guaranteed access to #AAC, therapy, aides, & our right to be educated alongside people without #disabilities. In the year ahead, tell your representatives the future you want to see for the IDEA. Resource here: lnk.to/adv101.

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December 31, 2025 at 1:09 PM
Reposted by CommunicationFIRST
communicationfirst.bsky.social
It’s the season for sharing! Introduce us to someone new by tagging them in a comment, & we will enter you in our holiday giveaway. You could win a #CommunicationRights shirt of your choice from our Threadless shop. A winner will be randomly selected at the end of New Year’s Day.

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[Image: A person stands with their back to the camera, looking at a large body of water. They are wearing a CommunicationFIRST t-shirt with the tagline, “Because communication is a human right.”] (2/2)
December 23, 2025 at 12:19 PM
communicationfirst.bsky.social
People who cannot rely on speech alone to be heard & understood must fight for their #rights. We help our community do just that. Help us start 2026 strong. Everyone who donates from December 15 - 31, 2025 will receive a CommunicationFIRST coaster! lnk.to/endyr

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[Text reads, “CommunicationFIRST is critical to the progress we need to continue to make. Sarah Blackstone.” The CommunicationFIRST logo in black and white appears at the bottom of the graphic.]
December 27, 2025 at 6:53 PM
communicationfirst.bsky.social
It’s the season for sharing! Introduce us to someone new by tagging them in a comment, & we will enter you in our holiday giveaway. You could win a #CommunicationRights shirt of your choice from our Threadless shop. A winner will be randomly selected at the end of New Year’s Day.

[Image: A…

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[Image: A person stands with their back to the camera, looking at a large body of water. They are wearing a CommunicationFIRST t-shirt with the tagline, “Because communication is a human right.”] (2/2)
December 23, 2025 at 12:19 PM
communicationfirst.bsky.social
Interested in #PolicyAdvocacy? Want to find out how to influence policy? Check out our Policy Advocacy 101 Webinar: lnk.to/adv101. Learn tips and strategies from Angelica Vega, Samuel Habib, and more experts who advocate for #PolicyChange at all levels of #government.

[Video: Angelica Vega…

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December 19, 2025 at 6:01 PM
communicationfirst.bsky.social
#JudyHeumann's 78th birthday would have been this week. We remember her commitment to #DisabilityRights by sharing Bob Williams’ See Us, Hear Us film, where Judy appears at 10:33. The film challenges us to create a world with disability rights as the norm. lnkfi.re/bsuhu

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December 15, 2025 at 11:19 PM
communicationfirst.bsky.social
Your support means the universe to us as we work to create a more just society for people with speech-related #disabilities. Please consider CommunicationFIRST in your year-end giving. We need your support to achieve our vision! lnk.to/endyr. Thank you!

📷 @affecttheverb.com…

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[Image: A drawing of five disabled BIPOC sitting in a planetarium, looking up at stars. Each has a different disability, including an AAC user at the left.]
December 11, 2025 at 8:51 PM
communicationfirst.bsky.social
Our Board Member Toby Latham successfully advocated with the Virginia legislature to require educators to be trained to support each individual student’s unique #AAC-related needs before the school year starts! The VDOE released this 2-pager to explain the new law: lnk.to/vdoe.

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[Image: A selfie of Toby Latham, his wife Lindsay, and their young son who is an AAC user. With the U.S. Capitol and clear blue skies in the background, the three of them smile widely.]
December 7, 2025 at 11:53 PM
communicationfirst.bsky.social
We are so grateful for all the #GivingTuesday donations we’ve received in the past few days! Your support helps us keep fighting for the rights of people with speech-related #disabilities. If you haven’t given yet, please consider supporting us this week. lnk.to/givingt

📷: #VisibleAAC...

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[Image: Jacob Bradley stands in the middle of a crowd, holding a US flag & a sign featuring an AAC device screenshot & a photo of himself, with the words Medicaid Saves Lives. Above this scene is the CommunicationFIRST logo, & below it is the text: Because communication is a human right.]
December 3, 2025 at 6:04 PM
communicationfirst.bsky.social
Our #GivingTuesday fundraiser! lnk.to/givingt
communicationfirst.bsky.social CommunicationFIRST @communicationfirst.bsky.social · Nov 29
CommunicationFIRST is committed to ensuring that all people with speech-related disabilities are respected, supported, & valued members of their communities. Consider including communication advocacy in your #GivingTuesday plans; donate any amount you can: lnk.to/givingt

[Image: In a…

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[Image: In a classroom, a woman and a young girl sit at a table with two tablets on it. They are focused on the tablet closest to them, which the girl is using.]
December 2, 2025 at 2:13 PM
communicationfirst.bsky.social
CommunicationFIRST is committed to ensuring that all people with speech-related disabilities are respected, supported, & valued members of their communities. Consider including communication advocacy in your #GivingTuesday plans; donate any amount you can: lnk.to/givingt

[Image: In a…

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[Image: In a classroom, a woman and a young girl sit at a table with two tablets on it. They are focused on the tablet closest to them, which the girl is using.]
November 29, 2025 at 10:30 PM
communicationfirst.bsky.social
Just in time for your holiday shopping: Jordyn’s shirt is back! At this link only until 12/4: lnk.to/shpc. Give a gift that supports communication #advocacy. #SpeechDoesNotMakeSomeoneMoreHuman

@jordynbzim.bsky.social

[Image: Jordyn Zimmerman sits smiling on a rooftop bench, wearing a…

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[Image: Jordyn Zimmerman sits smiling on a rooftop bench, wearing a shirt that says “Speech does not make someone more human.” She holds an AAC device and a jacket. Behind her, partly cloudy skies and a tree-lined cityscape stretch into the distance.]
November 26, 2025 at 12:20 AM
communicationfirst.bsky.social
We’re still processing the crushing news about the passing of CommunicationFIRST friend and Advisory Council member #AliceWong. We were made better by her work. Read about some of her #AAC and communication-disability-related activism and legacy here: lnk.to/alicew

@sfdirewolf.bsky.social...

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November 22, 2025 at 12:12 AM
communicationfirst.bsky.social
Welcome our new Director of Policy & Legal Advocacy, Sam Crane! Sam is a Harvard-trained lawyer with particular legal & policy experience in #CommunicationRights, long-term supports & services, & supported decision-making as an alternative to guardianship. lnk.to/crane

@samanticka.bsky.social

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[Image: A fair-skinned person with light brown, shoulder-length hair, and dark brown eyes sits looking at the camera with a slight smile. She is wearing glasses and a knitted shawl fastened by a clasp.]
November 14, 2025 at 8:10 PM
communicationfirst.bsky.social
We love showcasing our community in our #VisibleAAC photo bank. Any #AACUser who wants to share a photo of yourself &/or your #AAC, email [email protected] with PHOTOS in the subject line, or you can hashtag #VisibleAAC if you post. You may appear in our comms efforts!

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[Image: Bob Williams sits at the head of the Roosevelt Room conference table in the White House with his AAC device mounted on his power chair. He is laughing along with President Obama, Attorney General Holder, & other disability leaders. Above this photo is the CommunicationFIRST logo, & below it is the text: Because communication is a human right.]
November 10, 2025 at 11:56 PM
communicationfirst.bsky.social
With mixed feelings, we share that our co-founder Bob Williams is retiring from an incredible 4-decade career serving the #DisabilityCommunity. His tireless, principled advocacy has changed lives, & CommunicationFIRST wouldn't exist without his leadership. lnk.to/retiring

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[Image: Collage containing both photos of Bob & photos of Bob enjoying the company of others whose paths are intertwined with his. The collage is set on white.]
November 6, 2025 at 2:49 PM
communicationfirst.bsky.social
It’s been 100 years since DC’s #ForestHaven institution for people with I/DD opened. Watch our webinar on its closure, featuring two former residents & our own Bob Williams, an advocate for #CommunityLiving & the #Medicaid programs that make it possible. lnk.to/fhyt

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October 31, 2025 at 6:00 PM
communicationfirst.bsky.social
Our Board Chair Jordyn Zimmerman advocates that people who need & use AAC must be leaders & co-designers of AAC technologies. She writes about this in Impact, a journal from the Institute on Community Integration. She's featured in its 40 Big Ideas issue! lnk.to/bigidea @jordynbzim.bsky.social

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[Image: A smiling Jordyn Zimmerman takes her place at a conference table. On the table in front of Jordyn is her AAC device, an iPad.]
October 27, 2025 at 10:27 PM
communicationfirst.bsky.social
We'd like to extend a big thank you to everyone who participated in our #ArtificialIntelligence webinar! Whether or not you could make it, please take this short survey to help us gauge what you know about #AI & how tools like AI shape your communication: lnk.to/aisurvey.

[Image: A swirl of…

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[Image: A swirl of different colors against a dark background, representing a neural network.]
October 23, 2025 at 2:04 PM
communicationfirst.bsky.social
#AI has much potential for people who need & use #AAC – potential that could be good, bad, & ugly. Wednesday learn more in this webinar with Purdue's Dr. Rua Mae Williams, author of Disabling Intelligences: Legacies of Eugenics & How We Are Wrong About AI. lnk.to/ai101

@fractalecho.bsky.social

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[Image: Blue graphic titled, AI 101 for AAC Users. Text reads: Webinar Featuring Rua Mae Williams, Author of “Disabling Intelligences.” The graphic displays a webinar date of 1:30 - 3:00 PM ET October 22, 2025, the CommunicationFIRST logo, and a headshot of Dr. Williams. Next to their headshot is this quote: “Whether you are an AI optimist, skeptic, or pessimist, none of us can afford to be fatalists. When we resign ourselves to the inevitability of oppressive systems, we give in to a desperate world.”]
October 20, 2025 at 1:48 PM
communicationfirst.bsky.social
From the team behind The Ride Ahead comes a new educational webinar series, Our Ride Ahead! Check out their upcoming webinars for disabled youth on dating, relationships, romance, and sexual health: rideaheadfilm.com/webinars. Part 1 will take place on October 24 at 7pm ET to discuss...

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[Image: A navy, yellow, and orange promotional graphic for two "Our Ride Ahead" webinars. Text reads "Part 1: Disability & Dating. October 24, 7pm ET. Ages 16+" with headshots of Bianca I Laureano and Evan Sweeney. Below text reads "Part 2: Disability, Romance, & Sexual Health. November 6, 6:30pm ET. 18+" with headshots of Bethany Stevens, Cherry Kaufman, Rise, and Bianca I Laureano. Below text reads "RSVP for free at rideaheadfilm.com/webinars"]
October 17, 2025 at 9:08 PM
communicationfirst.bsky.social
Sign up for our 10/22 webinar with Dr. Rua Mae Williams, titled "AI 101 for AAC Users:" lnk.to/ai101. Rua will be joined by Board members Jordyn Zimmerman & Godfrey Nazareth to discuss potential impacts of #AI for people who need and use #AAC.

@fractalecho.bsky.social @jordynbzim.bsky.social

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[Image: Black graphic titled, AI 101 for AAC Users: Rua Mae Williams, Godfrey Nazareth, & Jordyn Zimmerman in Conversation. The graphic displays headshots of the three discussants, the CommunicationFIRST logo, and a webinar date of 1:30 - 3:00 PM ET October 22, 2025. A description reads: Dr. Williams (“Disabling Intelligences: Legacies of Eugenics and How We Are Wrong About Al”) will lead a discussion on the potential impacts of artificial intelligence for our community.]
October 14, 2025 at 5:49 PM