Episode 134: ‘I Am in Here’ – Elizabeth Bonker’s Mission to Expand the Power of Neurodiversity

For more information, bios, resources, and transcripts visit https://adalive.org/episodes/episode-134/ As many as 40% of people with autism are non-speaking — which is more than 30 million worldwide. Yet only a small fraction of non-speakers have been taught how to type to communicate. We will talk with Elizabeth Bonker about her mission to enable non-speaking persons with disabilities to find their voices and how the ADA helped her share her own remarkable story. Elizabeth Bonker is the Executive Director of Communication 4 ALL, a nonprofit with the mission to ensure all non-speakers have access to communication and education. Elizabeth learned to type to communicate when she was five years old, and she entered mainstream public school in first grade. Elizabeth’s decade of advocacy work includes a book, “I Am in Here”, and a music album. She has given dozens of published interviews and keynote addresses. Her story has been featured in three documentary films: SPELLERS, Understanding Autism, and In Our Own Hands. She is a 2022 graduate of the Rollins College Honors Program where she majored in social innovation with a minor in English. Her valedictorian commencement speech went viral with 4 billion media impressions, propelling her mission onto a global stage.