Consider buying gifts from artists who use AAC.
Many of us are doing our holiday shopping last minute. It might be a good year to skip the big box stores and use our spending to make a difference. There are wonderful gifts available from disabled artists and authors. Some of these talented people are listed below.
AAC Artists
Pam: @FoxyLadyGlass on Instagram.
Pam is a self-taught artist and poet. She sells books of her poetry and pieces of art. Her website is: Pam Foxy Lady Glass
Here are some artists who use eye gaze to speak and to create.
Sarah Ezekial uses her eyes to paint scenes of forests and flowers. To quote her website, “Who needs hands?”
Greta uses her eyes to paint more abstract paintings, full of color and texture.
The Center for Creative Arts
This is a program for people with disabilities that is focused on artistic expression. They have a website, and the artists sell their creations. There are lots of great gift ideas to be found there. Some of the artists use AAC.
Disability Pride
Some artists use their craft to speak to advocate for disability pride and visibility.
endeverstar sells buttons that express a person’s pronouns, interaction needs, and communication modalities:
Katie is a woman with CP who uses an AAC device. Her store, Katie’s Krazy Hearts offers many beautiful designs on tote bags, t-shirts, and ornaments.
AAC Authors
AAC users also write amazing books!
Sara Pyszka is an AAC user who writes with great humor and honesty about her experiences in college at Wright State University.
Sara Pyszka’s Inside My Outside
Galen Spiegler is the author of The Ability Almanac: 365 Tidbits of Crip Wisdom in Bite Sized-Pieces His can be found on Amazon.com:
One of the best-known authors who uses AAC is Martin Pistorius. In his first book, Ghost Boy, he discusses his experience of being locked into a body and unable to communicate:
Supporting AAC Learners
Are you parenting a young child who is learning AAC? Praactical AAC has a list of books starring children who use AAC:
Praactical AAC Booklist
You can also search online for gifts that include AAC symbols, or entire core vocabulary boards. Make AAC a part of your home and have it in reach in every room. Here is an example of a cozy throw blanket:
Other Disabled Creatives
You can also search for disabled artists on Etsy. This will bring up a lot of folks with beautiful gift ideas for the holidays.
And here is a new company that sells awesome. The company was founded by a man with paralysis. Billy Footwear sells shoes that are both stylish and accessible. With zippers all around, everyone will want to try a pair.
Billy Footwear
Leave us a comment with your favorite artists and their sites!
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