Concussion and Cognitive Accessible Design Meet Up @ SXSW2018

I organized a meetup at SXSW 2018 to bring together people interested in concussion or cognitive accessible design or both.

Glenda Sims, at Deque, started the conversation by describing all the changes she has seen from her first time meeting me 16 years ago. She attended my first speech after my injury. I spoke on accessibility of the internet for people like me with cognitive disabilities. The class was taught by John Slatin, PhD, then director of The University of Texas Center for Technology and Learning.

My speech language therapist, Liz Joiner at St. David’s Rehabilitation Hospital, identified that speaking was my pre-injury skill that I could still do post injury. She encouraged me to write a speech about what my brain injury was like for me at that time. During my rehabilitation, many practitioners and friends helped me both write and practice that speech. I practiced, practiced, practiced!

Back then, I had to read the speech and I didn’t know what I was saying unless I was reading it. Look at me now!

We had in attendance people with brain injuries from military events, sports injuries, accidents, and heath conditions, those that love and support them, medical professionals, government officials, Texas Brain Injury Alliance and Brain Injury Association of America representatives, The University of Texas faculty and students, and researchers, all from both the US and Canada.

Thank you to Sharron Rush with Knowbility for sponsoring food and beverages, thank you to Glenda Sims with Deque for emceeing, and thank you to Hiram Kuykendall with MicroAssist for recording and closed captioning this video!