As many as 40% of people with autism are non-speaking — which is more than 30 million worldwide. Yet only a small fraction of non-speakers have been taught how to type to communicate. We talk with Elizabeth Bonker about her mission to enable non-speaking persons with disabilities to find their voices and how the ADA helped her share her own remarkable story.
Elizabeth Bonker is the Executive Director of Communication 4 ALL, a nonprofit with the mission to ensure all non-speakers have access to communication and education. Elizabeth learned to type to communicate when she was five years old, and she entered mainstream public school in first grade.
Elizabeth’s decade of advocacy work includes a book, “I Am in Here”, and a music album. She has given dozens of published interviews and keynote addresses. Her story has been featured in three documentary films: SPELLERS, Understanding Autism, and In Our Own Hands.
She is a 2022 graduate of the Rollins College Honors Program where she majored in social innovation with a minor in English. Her valedictorian commencement speech went viral with 4 billion media impressions, propelling her mission onto a global stage.
Guest
Elizabeth Bonker, Executive Director, Communication 4 All
LISTEN
Audio: Episode 134: ‘I Am in Here’ – Elizabeth Bonker’s Mission to Expand the Power of Neurodiversity
Web: soundcloud.com/adalive/episode-134
READ
- Interactive Transcript for Episode 134: ‘I Am in Here’ – Elizabeth Bonker’s Mission to Expand the Power of Neurodiversity
Web: bit.ly/adalive134-captioning - Transcript Episode 134: ‘I Am in Here’ – Elizabeth Bonker’s Mission to Expand the Power of Neurodiversity (PDF file)
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Featured Organization
Founded by advocate Elizabeth Bonker—who herself is affected by autism and types to communicate—Communication 4 ALL champions efforts to ensure communication is available to all nonspeakers.
A 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, Communication 4 ALL recognizes that the key to changing policies and practices begins with shifting mindsets. To do so, we’re leveraging the power of film, videos, music, and inspiring personal testimonies to “move hearts and minds.” Our goal: to build awareness—and action—to ensure that nonspeakers with autism have access to the communication and education essential to living meaningful lives.
Critical to our movement-building efforts is creating opportunities for non-speakers with autism who type (typers) to advocate for their rights. Through the campaign, C4A will celebrate and uplift the stories of typers, like Elizabeth, who have succeeded against the odds in developing communication skills. These young people have gone on to complete their educations and pursue cherished goals.
C4A recognizes that shifting attitudes and deeply held mindsets is critical to achieving lasting social change. Through the power of story, we seek to transform the narrative of what non-speakers with autism can achieve and underscore the existence of proven solutions to address their communication needs.
About ADA Live!
The ADA Live! podcast and resources focus on the rights and responsibilities under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). A new episode airs for 30-45 minutes on the first Wednesday of each month. ADA Live! is produced by the Southeast ADA Center, one of ten regional ADA Centers in the ADA National Network.
No registration is required. You can submit your questions to ADA Live!, explore resources and the ADA Live! schedule plus connect to archived episodes on burtonblatti7.sg-host.com or download podcasts from soundcloud.com/adalive
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About the Southeast ADA Center
The Southeast ADA Center is a leader in providing information, training, and guidance on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and disability access tailored to the needs of business, government, and individuals at local, state, and regional levels. It also conducts research to reduce and eliminate barriers to employment and economic self-sufficiency and to increase the civic and social participation of Americans with disabilities. Located in Lexington, Kentucky, we are a project of the Burton Blatt Institute (BBI) of Syracuse University and one of 10 regional ADA centers in the ADA National Network, funded since 1991 by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research. Web: adasoutheast.org
About BBI
The Burton Blatt Institute (“BBI”) at Syracuse University reaches around the globe in its efforts to advance the civic, economic, and social participation of people with disabilities. Through program development, research, and public policy guidance, BBI advances the full inclusion of people with disabilities. BBI builds on the legacy of Burton Blatt, a pioneering disability rights scholar. BBI has offices in Syracuse, NY; Washington, DC; New York City, NY; and Lexington, KY. Web: bbi.syr.edu
DISCLAIMER: The contents of this post were developed by the Southeast ADA Center, a project of the Burton Blatt Institute at Syracuse University and the ADA National Network, under a grant from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR grant #90DPAD0005-01-00). NIDILRR is a Center within the Administration for Community Living (ACL), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The contents of this podcast and email do not necessarily represent the policy of NIDILRR, ACL, HHS, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government.