On Friday, 23 September, the Centre for Augmentative and Alternative Communication (CAAC) launched a book of poetry, text and images entitled Write to life. The book is a compilation of creative expressions, primarily from people who use augmentative and alternative communication. Through poetry and images, they shared their thoughts, impressions and perceptions in a way that speech does not allow them to do. The book profiles the seven young adults with severe communication disabilities who participated in the 2015 Fofa Communication Empowerment Programme, themed 'Words and beyond', which focused on creative writing, self-expression through photography and a formal photo shoot. Through these avenues, the young adults, who are so often side-lined, kept silent or disregarded by society, found a voice to express themselves. The book also contains poems by other younger and older writers with disabilities, as well as stakeholders in the field of AAC, including alumni of the Fofa Programme, parents of persons with disabilities and service providers.

The book was produced with the support of many individuals who freely gave their time and talents to ensure that this publication saw the light of day. The CAAC staff are extremely grateful to each person who contributed to the book. 

For more information about the book, please contact the CAAC on 012 420 2001 or email [email protected].