I know what it feels like to have a lot to say and no reliable way for people to hear you. I live with spastic quadriplegia cerebral palsy, and my cerebral palsy leaves me unable to speak on my own. I communicate through my iPad and gestures, and I know firsthand how frustrating it is when people confuse not speaking with not thinking. But I think, express, and understand everything, and so do so many other people who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). 

I started using AAC when I was a preschooler. During my preschool years, I used picture books to communicate with the kids and teachers. I also learned to use an AAC device. Those things made me feel comfortable and confident communicating. I was given my own communication device when I started kindergarten. I used old communication devices like DynaVox. These communication devices were simple and classic. I started using an iPad during my junior year of high school. iPad changed my life - it is now my AAC device. 

Too many students with cerebral palsy and other disabilities are still forced to fight for basic communication access in school. When a student does not have consistent access to AAC devices, trained staff, and real inclusion in the classroom, they are shut out of learning, friendships, and the chance to show who they are. That is not a small inconvenience. It is a barrier to dignity, education, and belonging.

I am calling on public school leaders to require meaningful AAC access and communication support for students with cerebral palsy and other disabilities. That means making sure students can use their devices throughout the school day, training teachers and support staff to respect and respond to AAC users, and treating communication as a right, not a privilege. Students who use AAC should not have to prove their intelligence or worth before they are included.

World Cerebral Palsy Day is a reminder that we should be challenging barriers and pushing for a more accessible, inclusive world. If we truly believe every person with cerebral palsy has valuable abilities, skills, talents, and strengths, then our schools must act like it. Sign this petition and help demand communication access, dignity, and full inclusion for every student who needs AAC.

My World CP Day Video https://www.tiktok.com/@marisaconnersofficial/video/769298444202503706 

Check out my website to learn more about me https://marisaconnersofficial.com/