Nonspeakers and Human Rights: A Discussion with Jordyn Zimmerman and Tauna Szymanski

Barry and Dave discuss human rights issues with their guests, Jordyn Zimmerman and Tauna Szymanski, from both a personal and policy perspective. Jordyn Zimmerman is a nonspeaking autistic woman who was denied access to an effective AAC system well into her teen years. She experienced misunderstandings, discrimination, and psychological abuse as she was not able to communicate her sense of self, her opinions, and her basic needs. She is now a passionate advocate for non-speaking people, and their right to have access to effective AAC. Tauna Szymanski, a lawyer with disabilities, discusses the mission of CommunicationFirst, an organization she co-founded, as protecting and assuring the rights non-speaking people to have access to effective AAC, and directions that must be taken to recognize communication as a human right for people with developmental and acquired conditions that limit speech development.