Members
of the “Breaking the Barriers” Team visited
Congress and held a very successful briefing for House
Members and their staff on September 21, 2006 in the
Capitol Building.
Advocates
Larry Bissonnette, Jamie Burke, Tyler Fihe, Tracy Thresher,
and Project Co-Director Christi Hendrickson used a combination
of video clips, augmentative communication devices and
power point presentations to lobby for public policies
and funding that support the right of individuals with
disabilities who cannot speak to access a full range of
alternative and augmentative communication options.
The
presentations were powerful and emotional as advocates
told their personal stories about overcoming the many barriers
they faced and shared important information about how alternative
and augmentative forms of communications make a positive
difference in the lives of people with autism and many
other citizens with disabilities nationwide.
