Have you ever tried having a conversation with someone on campus, when they hesitantly and ever-so-awkwardly start signing to you? Or have you ever asked another student a question and had them respond to you in writing?

When I think of these experiences, I always laugh at how uninformed people are about individuals who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). My AAC device is an iPad. As I told readers in a previous Hechinger Report article, I experienced a communication breakthrough at age 18 when I began using the iPad and was finally able to express my personal thoughts and share what I know. I had previously been unable to express most of my thoughts verbally. Many professionals, such as teachers and doctors, were unable to see how intelligent I was.

Over the past few years, I have spent a significant amount of time explaining to people that I am not deaf, especially after enrolling in college. While there are individuals all over the world who utilize this communication because they are unable to hear, it is currently estimated that well over one million folks use speech-generating devices (SGD) as a means to express language, and many more could benefit.

Because ultimately, familiarity is what fosters respect, acceptance and empathy. Let’s stop assuming what other people’s challenges are. When we make such assumptions, we miss out on their strengths, their words and, most notably, their stories.

Read the full article by Jordyn Zimmerman about speech communication devices from The Hechinger Report