Welcome to Everyone Communicates!

As our name indicates, we believe that everyone communicates, in one way or another. We also believe that communication is a basic need in life. When an individual does not have fluent, natural speech, it is urgent that other methods of communication, often called augmentative or alternative communication (AAC), be explored exhaustively.
Being unable to speak does not mean that an individual does not understand, cannot learn to communicate, or cannot think and reason. It only means that the person has a barrier to communication. With access to a variety of methods, and with creative, attentive, and dedicated people providing support, people with communication impairments caused by a wide range of disabilities can work to develop effective communication.

Freedom to Communicate

Freedom to Communicate
Stick figures, one with communication device and speech bubble; "Freedom to Communicate = Access to conversation anywhere, anytime, about anything with anybody through technology and personalized supports if needed.

Dedication

DEDICATION: This site is dedicated to people who are still waiting for a means to communicate more effectively. We hope this site helps to bring access to communication to more people so that someday soon everyone will have the opportunity to communicate effectively, and no one will have to spend days or years or a lifetime in silence.

Saturday, October 24, 2015

Today we are participating in the 7th Annual International AAC Chat (also called Read-a-Thon, because the chatting is done by typing messages online).  If you wish to participate, join us on the Facebook page International AAC Awareness Month and ask to join the chat, too, if you like.  We will be posting information, resources, advocacy and more throughout the 24 hours of the Chat, which started today (October 24, 2015) at 8:00 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time (USA) and will continue nonstop until 8:00 a.m. tomorrow (October 25, 2015) EDT.  We hope that you will spend time reading, listening, chatting, learning, exploring, teaching, sharing, advocating, and maybe getting involved in some activism online or in your local area today and also moving forward.  Anyone can lose access to their voice at some time in life for various reasons (intubation in the hospital, stroke, injury, illness, cancer, etc.).  It could happen to someone you know--or even to you!--so be prepared with the knowledge that there are many, many other ways to communicate and with the determination to get involved in making sure that everyone has a voice of their choice throughout life to talk to anyone, anytime, anywhere about anything they wish.

Sarah Blackstone, a well-known speech-language pathologist who teaches about AAC said it well: “Despite the proven efficacy of AAC as a treatment approach for individuals with complex communi¬cation needs, an individual’s access to AAC services typically depends upon (1) where they happen to live, (2) what their doctor already knows about AAC and (3) how aggres¬sively they, or their family mem¬bers, seek help from professionals who provide AAC services. Even today there are speech-language pathologists in hospitals, healthcare agencies and private practices who actually turn people away, saying, ‘We don’t do AAC.’“ Sarah W. Blackstone, Ph.D. CCC-SLP, Augmentative Communication News, Feb. 2007

 Help us work toward a voice of one's choice throughout life for ALL.  Everyone needs to communicate effectively.  Everyone can and does communicate.  We need to learn to listen and to support communication for all.  Everyone can learn to communicate more effectively.  Presume that everyone has the competence to learn to communicate and act on it now!  
Posted by at