Around the
Water Cooler
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Welcome to AAC ConsumerNetDavid Chapple
My name is David Chapple. I am an adult who uses an AAC device to speak. Like many people who use AAC, I’m motivated to improve the life experience of individuals who rely on AAC. I’ve come to realize that if people who use AAC don’t work toward fairer, more equitable supports and services that allow us to achieve our potential, then others will not be interested in helping make the necessary changes either. This column and the resources available at AAC ConsumerNet are the start of something bigger than one person advocating for him/herself. My intention is that many AAC stakeholders – parents, friends, professionals, industry, funders, government officials - will rally around eliminating the barriers that prevent all individuals from full participation, the most effective communication, and hope for the future.
I would like to begin this column by talking about what I needed to overcome in life in general so you can get a sense of who I am. I’ve had to overcome most of the things that you did or you are going to overcome. Some were minor struggles, but others were more significant.
Getting a job was one of the more difficult struggles. I went through a lot of interviews over a three year period, and I started to get discouraged. If anybody asked about my disability during the interview, I answered them and moved on to the next question. I finally got a job as a Software Engineer for a small company. The person who finally hired me saw my skills instead of my disability. He also said he liked how I made him feel comfortable with my disability by just being myself and not letting it be the focus of the interview or any conversation. Unfortunately the company experienced severe financial difficulties, and almost everybody lost their jobs – including me.
Although I am employed today, I’ll share my work in another Around the Water Cooler column. In addition, I’d like to save my history of using AAC strategies and devices, and how I learned to use AAC technology for another time. Besides introducing myself, my goal for this first column is to identify three barriers or issues that the larger AAC community needs to work to change:
1. Access to and funding for AAC technology.
2. Access to skilled, professional services to help maximize the potential of the AAC technology for people who cannot speak.
3. Employment opportunities, which means improving our educational opportunities too.I would like to close by saying this column will be written by AAC users for AAC users first with the expectation that other stakeholders will learn from our voices. I would like to get some guest writers so if you would like to volunteer to write a future column about a certain topic important to people who rely on AAC, please email me at dchapple@aacinstitute.org. If you would like me to post a blog relevant to the topics and issues discussed in Around the Water Cooler, please send an email to AACConsumerNet@aacinstitute.org. I look forward to all of your input.
Your feedback is always valued. AACConsumerNet@aacinstitute.org.
