What Happens Next Will Define Our Generation
Across the United States, nonspeaking individuals with autism and apraxia are having their communication support funding cut. We're coming together - with love, urgency, and purpose - to make sure every voice is heard.
A JOINT CAMPAIGN BY
MEET OUR LEADER
Elizabeth Bonker
Elizabeth Bonker is the Founder, Director, and Executive Director of Communication 4 ALL, a nonprofit with the mission to ensure ALL nonspeakers have access to communication and education. Elizabeth learned to type to communicate when she was five years old and mainstreamed in 1st grade public school.
Her 2022 valedictorian commencement address at Rollins College went viral with 4 billion media impressions propelling her mission onto a global stage. Elizabeth’s advocacy work includes a 2011 book, I Am in Here, and a 2022 music album. She gives keynotes around the world, and her story is featured in the documentaries SPELLERS and Understanding Autism.
In January 2026, Elizabeth was appointed to the federal Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee. In 2025, she was a Co-chair of the Autism Task Force for the Consortium for Constituents with Disabilities, an umbrella organization of more than 100 nonprofits. Elizabeth is a member of Autism Society of America’s Council of Autistic Advisors and the Autism Society of Florida Board. For fun, Elizabeth co-hosts a monthly radio program “We Want to Tell You” on SiriusXM – The Beatles Channel.
OUR WORDS. OUR TRUTH.
Meet More of Us - the Spellers & Typers
We are the people at the heart of this campaign. Our stories are why this matters.
"Knowing my limits is no longer an issue for me. Spelling removed the chains that bound my life."
"Spelling changed the entire course of my life from one with bouts of despair to one with endless hope for the future!"
"Pre-spelling, frost covered my limbs. Now, as a speller, my heart whispers of hope that I am going to be ok."
"I'm now able to advocate for things like my education, what I do everyday, and where I want to live someday. I wish I had learned to type to communicate in elementary school!"
- Lora, age 21
Oceanside, CA
- Evan T, age 22
Carlsbad, CA
- JT, age 23
Orinda, CA
- Madison, age 28
San Clemente, CA
Are you a speller or typer with a story to share?
WHATS HAPPENING
We Need Your Support
We are nonspeaking individuals with autism and apraxia who found a pathway to spelling and typing - finally able to communicate, often for the first time in our lives. Working alongside trained communication partners, we developed reliable ways to share our thoughts, feelings, and decisions with the people we love. Our lives have been TRANSFORMED.
Communication is a human right that no state agency should be able to take away.​
The Americans With Disabilities Act* guarantees that protection.
​
We, the nonspeakers who spell and type to communicate, are standing up for equal rights, as human beings who get to participate in our own lives. Will you join us as allies and help amplify our voices?
​
*A person's right to their primary, most effective form of communication is detailed in 28 C.F.R. § 35.160(b)(2) (Title II) and 28 C.F.R. § 36.303(c)(ii) (Title III) of the Americans With Disabilities Act. It emphasize that the individual's choice should be honored unless an equally effective method is available.
"Needing a communication partner to get started is like needing someone to push your wheelchair before you learn to move it independently. The support isn't the problem — it's the door to everything that comes next."
- On what communication partners actually do for those learning to type & spell for communication
What's at Stake:
Medical Voice
The ability for us to tell doctors about pain, symptoms, and care — in our own words.
Education
Full participation in our IEP meetings and the chance to show what we truly know & understand.
Connection
Real friendships, relationships, and the joy of being truly known by another person!!
Self Determination
The right to choose our own path — services, housing, education, and future.
TAKE ACTION
4 Ways to Help Right Now
Post for 30 Days
Join our 30-posts-in-30-days challenge this Autism Action Month. Share your story. Reshare others'. We'll provide graphics and suggested reels.
#CommunicationIsAHumanRight
#MyVoiceMyChoice
#Communication4All
#SpellersFreedom
WHO BELONGS HERE
Everyone is Welcome in This Movement
Whether you spell, love someone who spells, or simply believe every person deserves to be heard — there is a place for you here.
Spellers & Typers
Parents & Families
Communication Partners
ACC Specialists
Disability Advocates
Donors
Concerned Citizens
Legislators
Legal & PR Volunteers
IN COLLABORATION WITH
OUR PARTNERS
We are stronger together. This is a coalition built on shared values — and it's growing.
Email us if you’re interested in supporting as a partner.
STAY INFORMED
Join The Movement
Get campaign updates, action alerts, the legislator contact script, and shareable graphics delivered to your inbox.