In 2010 while working on the International AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) Month task force, I took on the challenge of writing an advocacy song for AAC. As I am not a musician or music writer, I looked for familiar tunes that would be in the public domain. The ABC Song was the first to get my attention. I liked it because it can be sung with the quality of a show tune and because we were telling and teaching people the basics about AAC: the ABCs of Communication Rights. It incorporates the key elements we wanted to include: importance of literacy to communicating using AAC, conversation (not just making choices), AAC role models, mentors, what is AAC, who needs AAC, everyone communicates with access to the right training, ongoing supports, and technology.
In the months that followed, I fit very similar lyrics to a few other songs which are available on the AAC Advocacy Songs site to which there is a link below. All are old public domain songs, but I hope they will be fun for people to sing and share. We hope eventually to have all the songs available in mp3 format which can be loaded onto a communication device so that people who use AAC may sing them.
I hope you will enjoy and share this song and the others, too.
