"I've been communicating with AAC for 36 years!"
My name is Miles Forma, I am 39 years old and I live in Westchester County, New York. I was born with a physical disability called Cerebral Palsy (CP). Having CP has impaired my ability to talk and walk but has not affected my ability to think. I use a power wheelchair to move around and am able to speak and have conversations with people using Alternative and Augmentative Communication, or AAC.
I am a Lecturer and an Educator
In 2013, I began going to different Colleges & Universities to speak to classes of students studying to be Speech/Language Pathologists and Special Education Teachers.
At Elementary Schools I speak to 3rd thru 5th graders about understanding people with disabilities.
In 2024, I expanded my outreach to Nursing Schools to speak to students about the challenges they will face with patients who have communication disorders.
I present to Special Education Parent-Teacher Associations (SEPTA) and other family groups.
In 2019, I was asked to participate in a panel discussion at the United Nations in New York during the Conference on Rights of Persons with Disabilities. This was sponsored by The International Communication Project (ICP). I have also given presentations at tech conferences where I have talked about how assistive technology has benefited me.
The ABC News program Nightline told the story of how I used AAC to become a Bar Mitzvah. Watch it here.