In today’s economic times, it is difficult to find stable full-time employment. There are just more unemployed people than open positions. This makes the quest for full-time employment an increasingly daunting task. This is especially true for AAC users. I am speaking from personal experience. 

After graduating with my Bachelor’s in Social Work, I embarked on a search for an 8-to-5 job. To no avail, I continued to search for two years. Although I had been employed as consumer representative at DynaVox since 2002, the position is part-time and not a regular source of income. Therefore, I took a part-time job as a nanny to three small children. I continued in this capacity for nearly four years. During this time, I continued to keep my eyes and ears open to new job opportunities. 

Eventually, in 2008, I finally landed a full time job as an Assistive Technology (AT) Navigator in the Active Service Solutions for Economic Transition (ASSET) AmeriCorps member. As a Navigator, I demonstrate, AT devices and computer programs for people with speech, visual, mobility, and cognitive issues to individuals both on- and off-site.  Some of these programs and devices are: speech-generating devices, a small and standard size CCTV,   the computer programs Dragon Naturally Speaking, Magic, Jaws, and Discovery Desktop. We also offer a monthly DynaVox clinic with our local DynaVox representative, Lena Nel, on the second Thursday of the month. 

Unfortunately, this position is not permanent. I am in my second term of service, which is the maximum. It ends on August 31 of this year. So, what am I going to do after my term is up? The simple answer is try to find another job. Hopefully, it will not take years to find it. I plan to start in the non-profit sector because they are always in need. Also, after working 10 years at non-profit, all of your student loans are forgiven, which is a definite plus for me. 

At times, employment can seem to be an elusive goal, especially those of us who use AAC.  Whether we like it no not, we face an added hurdle to jump over in today’s job market. There are still some employers who do not understand AAC and prefer to hire those without one. It’s just an easier choice to hire someone without a speech disability. At least, that has been my experience. Technology is continuing to evolve making that choice obsolete to employers.