A December Reflection on Empowerment

Image Description: A woman in a wheelchair gazes out at a body of water from a dock in Malmö, Sweden. She has short, curly dark hair and glasses. She is wearing a white dress with black stripes, with a matching cardigan and jewelry.

As we approach the end of the year, we are grateful to share a reflection from Alma Silver, whose leadership is shaping an inclusive future for people with speech-related disabilities while strengthening the AAC community. As a lifelong AAC user, Alma draws on her lived experience to build community and challenge how AAC users are perceived and treated beyond AAC spaces.

Here is her reflection:

“I have also been able to achieve professional and personal goals by amplifying my voice as an AAC user. Some of these have included graduating summa cum laude from college, leading educational workshops on disability identity and inclusion on a national level, and even traveling abroad and utilizing multilingual software on my AAC device.

My journey through adulthood as a disabled woman and AAC user has brought me to experiences and milestones that I rarely saw represented for people who looked and spoke like me when I was growing up. Visible representations and community for people with speech disabilities matter.

This is why I am proud to continuously support the work that ImpAACt Voices is leading to cultivate authentic connections, friendships, and mentorship opportunities within the AAC community.”

Alma’s reflection shows what the Gift of Empowerment looks like — AAC users building full, meaningful lives when they have access to community, representation, and spaces that honor their voices.

Your support makes this work possible. Because of you, ImpAACt Voices can continue to host virtual Hangouts, strengthen social connections, and elevate AAC users as leaders within their communities.

We set a goal of $5,000 to fully support our programs as we move into the new year. We are grateful for the progress we’ve made, and we still have work ahead to keep our AAC user-led programs free and accessible.

If you are able, we invite you to share the Gift of Empowerment before the year ends.

Give the Gift of Empowerment

Thank you for believing in a future where all AAC users are seen, heard, and valued. We look forward to sharing more stories and reflections from our community before the year comes to a close.

With appreciation,

The ImpAACt Voices Team

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ImpAACt Voices

Lorton, Virginia

Have questions? Please email info@impaactvoices.org

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