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Many Cultures, One Dream: Communication Without Barriers
All people wish to communicate, to understand, and to be understood. Many barriers can make that difficult. People may not know each other or may use different languages, come from different cultures, have difficulty speaking, need access to AAC, or may not understand how AAC works.
Once the barriers to real communication are gone, people from different worlds of experience can get to know and understand each other. Tell the world your story of communicating using AAC and overcoming barriers.
We are looking for stories, poems, essays, photos, slideshows and movies by people who use AAC for the Many Cultures, One Dream: Communication Without Barriers. Online Collection
The Many Cultures, One Dream: Communication Without Barriers flyer In English as a file .pdf file
Other Languages:
If anyone knows any of other languages please e-mail us at info@aacawareness.org
How do I send in my writing or video?
Please read the submission rules and Permission to Publish paragraph below.
Include the following in your application:
Your writing (story, poem, essay, song) and any pictures or extra material that go with your writing
Submission Form (please download this FORM, fill out all information, re save it, and attach to the email.)
Send all material by email to: stories@aacawareness.org
E-mail for any other inquires to info@aacawareness.org
Send your entries for the collection and submission form and Permission form e-mail it to stories@aacawareness.org
NEW Due Date: JULY 1, 2010International AAC Awareness Month Flyer for the Collection
AAC Awareness Songs – Inclusive Singing Videos: People who use AAC are invited to use their AAC to sing or sign one of our advocacy songs with family and friends and capture it on video: “If I Had a VOCA” or “ABCs of Communication Rights”. Submit the video to us and we will merge clips from around the world to create two harmonies of the different methods of communication and singing with technology.
Snoopi Botten has stored the songs for the AAC devices To get your songs for your device
Due Dates: Stories & Movies - July 1, 2010; AAC Song – 15 August, 2010
The permission form for pictures for pictures Click Here
The important date to remember Click here in .pdf file or Click here a file in .png
The 2010 International AAC Month bookmarker is available now!
AAC Campaign has developed a video Click here!
We are pleased to receive a report on AAC Awareness Month 2009 in Argentina recently. We are highlighting it because the report includes links to our first videos to share here in Spanish.
We hope in the coming year to have more writings in the collection and more videos in many languages from around the world. Please take the challenge we are making to countries and states around the world. Make sure that people who use AAC in your state and country submit stories in writing, slide show, or video to our writing collection. Help us make the 2010 AAC Awareness Month online collection and celebration truly global.
Juan Cobenas reported recently on AAC Awareness Month activities held in Argentina in 2009: As part of the Celebration Month in October 2009, he and others organised an activity in Pergamino City, in which he shared his PowerPoint presentation from the online writing collection, “It’s Very Hard”. Occupational Therapist Ms. Patricia Creton showed at her presentation two videos: one showing her work with AAC with a young student. This activity is in Spanish. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWX_-57OKjE
The other video (in two parts) shows the activity Ms. Creton organised for the Celebration Month 2009: two girls using AAC told traditional stories in a kindergarten. This activity is also in Spanish.
muchos metodos, un objetivo COMUNI'CAR (1).mpg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_4CjpV0MiA&NR=1muchos metodos, un objetivo COMUNICAR (2).mpg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6QlQij7KK2c&feature=related
Spotlight:
"If I had a VOCA"
In celebration of October's International AAC Month, the TASH Communications Committee and Snoopi Botten and friends have just released on YouTube an advocacy song for augmentative and alternative communication (AAC): "If I Had a VOCA". The adapted lyrics for this song were written to teach the world that everyone needs a
way to communicate. People who have little or no speech can communicate with the right technology, training, and support. Sadly, many people spend months, years, and sometimes a lifetime without effective communication. We are working to change that.
Everyone has something to say.
Our goal is effective communication for all . . . in our lifetime!The unique musical performance is a remarkable trio of computer-generated singing voices. These computerized voices are used by people who have little or no effective speech. It is rare to hear them sing and rarer still to hear them harmonize.
The tune is an old and familiar one which reminds us about justice, freedom, and love. The song is paced for an audience sing along.
We hope you will enjoy the video, sing along with the lyrics as they are displayed on a wide range of VOCAs, and tell others around the world about it so they can join us in song and advocacy.
The song was adapted from the classic song "If I Had a Hammer", by Hays and Seeger which was also popularized by Peter, Paul, and Mary. This video is dedicated to the memory of Mary Travers, whose voice for justice and freedom and love still rings in our ears and in our hearts.
YouTube and to invite you to watch and share it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJi_Si_jTHk
Hall of Fame
Hall of Fame by Luis Clemente was born in Puerto Rico where he was never afforded access to augmentative communication and assistive technology services. When he came to New York in 1992, he communicated through gestures and guttural vocal sounds and used a walker. At that time, he was monolingual. Luis came to AHRC NYC Bronx Day Habilitation (BD) Program in June, 2000 brining with him a communication book. At BDH, Luis saw other individuals using communication devices and power wheelchairs and he immediately began advocating for the same services for himself. Within six months he received a DynaVox MiniMo and his first power wheelchair. After a few months working with the DynaVox, Luis was able to learn English. He now formulates sentences and communicates effectively with people in both English and Spanish using his DynaVox V. Luis has become an advocate for individuals with developmental disabilities. He encourages and assists one of his peers who uses a Dynavox to become a better communicator. Luis also addressed a legislative meeting in the Bronx to increase awareness for the need for assistive technology services for individuals with IDD.
Description of Film
The Hall of Fame for Great Americans at Bronx Community College, founded in 1900, is the original "Hall of Fame" in this country. This hall of fame honors prominent Americans who have had a significant impact on this nation's history. The Hall of Fame serves as a focus for educational reinforcement and a stage for related programs and exhibits at BCC.
Earlier this year, AHRC NYC individuals, including Luis, visited the campus on a weekly basis to participate in a research and study project where they would eventually become co-leaders of guided tours for the Hall of Fame for Great Americans. Luis had the option of selecting Great Americans of choice, whom he researched, and presented at community tours. Luis co-led tours using a DynaVox V, mounted on his power-wheelchair. The short film to be entered in the contest documents this process and its end result.
You can view it on youtube at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9XFvZbBHWA
Elizabeth Breen
Here is a link to a story about a young woman named Elizabeth Breen who spells and types to communicate. It aired in October 2009. The website has the transcript and complete video.
In one scene when Elizabeth was younger, you can see some facilitation support--grasping her wrist momentarily between letters to slow her down and then releasing it so she could touch the next letter. She did not go straight to the letter below her hand either. She moved her hand around to find the letter she wanted.
Clearly, Elizabeth has come a long way with very good support for her social, intellectual and spiritual needs. It is good to see another example of what is possible with a presumption of competence, ongoing personalized support, and access to spelling and typing. Elizabeth
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Welcome to the International AAC Awareness website - your gateway to events and programs happening around the world in celebration of ISAAC's annual International AAC Awareness Month. Tour the site to learn more about 2009's theme of AAC and Communication! |
Awareness only happens when you share a story with someone, so come let the world know what you have to say!
*AAC means Augmentative and Alternative Communication--other ways to speak and write for people with speech impairments or disabilities--like electronic talking aids, computers, boards and books with pictures, words and letters, Talking Mats, Communication Passports, eye-gaze, partner-assisted scanning, facilitated communication training, gesture and sign language.PCS Symbols © Mayer Johnson LLC 2007; Bliss Symbols © Blissymbolics Communication International 1982; Minspeak Symbols © Semantic Compaction Systems 2005; Widgit Literacy Symbols © Widgit Software
