How technology helped a nonspeaking autistic woman find her voice
Technology has allowed activist Jordyn Zimmerman, a nonspeaking autistic woman, to find her voice.
Zimmerman's early life was spent communicating through body language and pictures. She bounced between numerous school systems in Ohio. It wasn't until the age of 18 — when she began using Proloquo2Go, an augmentative and alternative communication app — that her true self was finally revealed.
Now 29, she described the moment she had a legitimate voice for the first time as "joyful," but "deeply confusing" for her family.
"They had been told for 18, almost 19 years by so many professionals about who I was, what I could do, how I would not be able to feel deeply with others or empathize, how I was incapable of learning, communicating and engaging," she said. "And here I was sharing and debunking everything that was made to be true for so long, what was wildly inaccurate."
She said the iPad technology gave her "so much confidence to really connect with people" and transformed her relationship with her brother, fostering a bond that had been nonexistent due to her communication barriers.
"My brother and I have this amazing, ever-growing relationship, which now started 10 years ago," she said. "We didn't have the chance of knowing each other before that time."
Zimmerman's voice, which went unheard for so long, has now made its way to some of the biggest platforms. She serves on the President's Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities and gives presentations at schools across the country. Her goal is to get better resources and educational opportunities for students with disabilities.
She said that she would like to see technology used more in education to help students who are non-speaking.
"When students are non-speaking or cannot rely on speech to be understood, our school systems frequently segregate them," she said. "And once a student is segregated, it's hard to shake things up. We have to rewrite those rules."
Zimmerman's direct communication style caught the attention of Sarah Herrlinger, Apple's head of global accessibility. Zimmerman was chosen as a distinguished educator by the company and uses Apple's Live Speech feature in her daily communication.
"Jordyn has one of the best senses of humor, and to watch her facial expression as she has that thing that she wants to express, and then she types it out and just gets that kind of rise, smile in her face. And I love the fact that our technology is really just helping her show the world exactly who she is," said Herrlinger.
Zimmerman expressed hope that her advocacy work would create a more understanding and supportive world for all children.
"Every time I present and share my story, I impact one person. And every time I share feedback on an experience that might lead to positively impacting another person, I feel good and I'm proud about changing the narrative in that way," Zimmerman said. "I know I can't change the world alone, but I can certainly create people to facilitate meaningful improvements and help show that we all have valuable contributions to make."
This story has been updated with the full name of the app Proloquo2Go.
(责任编辑:新闻中心)
- 雨城区疾控中心提示:科学补碘 防治碘缺乏病
- How to block people on Tinder
- Twitter is making even less from Twitter Blue than previously known
- 产业体系以五项措施抓好2024年荔枝龙眼生产
- Blinken condemns Russia
- World's first 18650
- US soldier defects to N. Korea from S. Korean side of DMZ
- North Korea bashes UN human rights council over 'arbitrary' standard
- North Korean leader visits mausoleum of grandfather, father to mark new year
- 中山古镇:到苏炳添家乡看“村BA”,来一场说走就走的美食之旅
- Republicans are deeply divided on how to help Afghans.
- Nirvana Nevermind cover lawsuit: Former naked baby Spencer Elden got one thing right.
- President Moon makes last
-
Which iPad Model Is Right for You?
With class-leading hardware and optimized software, the Apple iPad line has long been the default ta ...[详细] -
No country wants to be the first to recognize the Taliban.
“If the Taliban claim to want international legitimacy, these actions are not going to get them the ...[详细] -
How to separate romantic rejection from your self
When the text flashed on my iPhone screen, I had the answer to the question I'd been afraid to ask. ...[详细] -
喊全球吃“菠萝年糕”!徐闻书记县长发出邀请信_南方+_南方plus亲爱的世界各地朋友们:岁序更迭,辞旧迎新,所有美好都如期而至!在中国传统春节即临之际,“中国菠萝之乡”广东徐闻县又推出一道独具风味和浓 ...[详细]
-
市民填写献血相关表格8月22日晚,雨城区正黄时代天街广场天桥旁停靠着一辆献血车,身穿红马甲的志愿者们正向路过的市民发放无偿献血宣传手册,不少市民停下脚步,参与无偿献血。这是雅安市中心血站开启夜间献血模 ...[详细]
-
How online dating impacts people with anxiety (and how to deal with it)
In ourLove App-tuallyseries, Mashable shines a light into the foggy world of online dating. For the ...[详细] -
Politicians dash to areas wrecked by downpour; Yoon’s Ukraine trip hit by opposition
The ruling People Power Party head Rep. Kim Gi-hyeon (right) visits Osong, a North Chungcheong Provi ...[详细] -
Tesla workers push to unionise in New York
Tesla workers in New York have launched a union campaign, hoping to turn the company's Buffalo plant ...[详细] -
Where to pre-order the Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 ProGoogleGoogle Pixel 9Starting at $799 (plus get a free ...[详细]
-
US calls for UNSC action against N. Korean ICBM test, but China, Russia veto
A US envoy to the United Nations speaks during a UN Security Council meeting in New York on Thursday ...[详细]
I Deleted All My Social Accounts: Three Weeks Without Social Media
Federer hails 'unbelievable' Djokovic
- Apple's iPhone 17 will come with a huge RAM upgrade, report claims
- Arrest warrant issued for journalist Amy Goodman after pipeline protest coverage
- 5 ChatGPT alternatives to try when the AI chatbot is at capacity
- 二郎山谱写筑路传奇(下)
- Netanyahu’s Inferno
- Federer hails 'unbelievable' Djokovic
- US condemns NK missile launch, reaffirms commitment to dialogue