“I’ve been an AAC user for more than twenty years”
Lecturer and Educator
My name is Miles Forma. I’m thirty-seven years old. I was born with a physical disability called cerebral palsy which has impaired my ability to talk and walk. However, I can talk and have conversations with people by using Augmentative & Alternative Communication, or AAC. The AAC device I am currently using is a Tobii/Dynavox I-13.
Since 2013, I have been making presentations at different colleges and universities to classes of students who want to become Speech/Language Pathologists and Special Education Teachers. My presentations are based upon my personal experiences and about the challenges of working with people that have physical disabilities.
I want future Special Education Teachers and Speech/Language Pathologists to really get a sense of what it will be like to work with someone that has multiple physical disabilities. I also want them to experience communicating with someone who uses AAC.
“Communication is a basic human right.”
United Nations, New York 2019
Disability Advocate
In 2017, I starting going to Elementary Schools to speak to 5th grade students about understanding people with disabilities. Speaking to young students has opened up a whole new area of work for me and I enjoy it very much.
In June, 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. You can watch it here.