I have known Lori for over 10 years and credit her with providing me the most practical, usable education for assisting individuals to become proficient communicators with their AAC systems.  It helped a great deal that Lori was a sponge for not only acquiring a large meaningful vocabulary with her communication system, but was driven to be as independent as possible in all aspects of her life.  A barrier for her when we first met was that while she had all of the typical adult desires and dreams, she did not have the confidence that she could learn all of the necessary skills.  As she increased her skills with use of the Liberator, her confidence, self-esteem soared.  Her language and literacy skills improved, and she learned how to program her Liberator. Lori has a wry and playful sense of humor.  I still remember when 10 or 11 years ago Lori came down to my office to see me and started talking with the “Whispering Wendy” voice.  When I asked why she was talking like that she said, “I have a sore throat.” 

In the Spring of 2004 Lori co-presented with me at the MSHA conference in Rochester, Minnesota.  The following is what Lori wrote for her presentation, which expresses much better than I can, why she is an AAC Hero:

 “I have cerebral palsy. Because of the c p I can’t talk.  Augmentative communication did open my world up very much. I want to tell you what it was like before I got my voice with words.  I couldn’t go out shopping, or ask my friends out. I couldn’t call friends.  But, now I can do everything by myself.  Except my [personal] cares.Nothing is that perfect, yet. 

When I was two years old, I went to Gillette Children’s hospital, and they helped me get started with my first communication system.  It was a Bliss board. It had pictures, but I couldn’t point with my fingers.  So they did put numbers right under the pictures, and then I had this thing in front of your face and in front of my face.  I did look at it, and you had to guess what number I was looking at.   When people didn’t know how to use it, I couldn’t communicate.  This was my only communication system until I was 16 years old.  When I was 16, I got the Light talker.   They put sentences in it or I could spell them out.   Except, I couldn’t spell that well.  I couldn’t put sentences together, because I didn’t have words.  So, I couldn’t say what I wanted to say.  Then I got the Liberator.  And, I got better with my talking.  I had more words now. I could see what I was missing before.  Now I had little words like “the,” “a,” and “to.” And word endings like “ed” and “ing,” and so people look at me different when I use all the words.  Before, I wanted to go out by myself, and people thought I couldn’t do that, because I couldn’t talk for myself.  Now, I could talk, and I said I was going shopping by myself.  And I did. 
                     
With the Liberator, I got way better calling friends on the phone.  And, I asked my boyfriend out.  Now, I have the Pathfinder.  With the Pathfinder I have all of my words to talk, just like the Liberator.  But I can do more things.  I can go right to work at the computer without help.  I use the computer with the infrared box.  I use the telephone more.   I turn on the lights, my stereo, and the TV.   I fought with my caseworker about moving out from the group home.  I do live with my boyfriend, now, in our house.  I could win this fight because I had my words now.”

Lori is also a PRC Ambassador and most every year can been seen at the PRC booth at Closing the Gap!

Submitted by   Anita Schermer, MA, CCC/SLP
Augmentative Communication Specialist
Gillette Lifetime Specialty Healthcare