Aspiring writers can find fresh voice, vision and career opportunities in the AAC-RERC Writers Brigade (WB). 

The Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Communication Enhancement  established the Writers Brigade as  a virtual writers workshop for people who communicate with assistive technology. Participants in the WB gain professional experience by writing and publishing technical articles that describe the advances in the field of AAC.

 AAC-RERC partners Sarah Blackstone and Michael B. Williams developed the WB in order to reverse findings that people with complex communication needs often are unemployed or underemployed. The AAC-RERC WB project manager, Johana Schwartz, coaches the participants in the process of writing and revising articles for publication, with the objective of teaching them the skills necessary to succeed as technical writers.

Since 2004, eleven writers have corresponded with the manager over email, submitting drafts in exchange for customized feedback. The manager supports each participant to meet individual goals related to researching topics, conducting informational interviews with the partners, writing drafts, and proof reading. The members of the Writers Brigade have collectively published over ninety addressed to a varied readership. Look for contributions by the  Writers Brigade in the AAC-RERC E-newsletter, Advance Magazine, Alternatively Speaking, Augmentative Communication, ConnSENSE Bulletin and SpeakUP.

The success of the participants during and after their membership in the Writers Brigade attests to the impact of the program in action. While participants expand their bibliographies, they also expand their resumes. Then, as they add to their vocational experience, they make viable contacts with professionals in research and publishing. They establish business relationships that allow them to continue writing and influencing the field.  They expand their employment and social networks by making contact with AAC-RERC researchers and potential employers. Thus the authors use the power of expression to satisfy the RERC view of "Nothing about us, without us."

For the remainder of the second funding cycle of the AAC-RERC the WB will coach several groups of participants. In keeping with the AAC-RERC motto, "Spread the word" about the Writers Brigade to aspiring writers. To learn more, please contact the program sponsors: The AAC-RERC  the ACI and to receive more information about how to participate in the program, email Sarah Blackstone.

Note: The AAC-RERC section is partially funded by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) under Grant #H133E030018. The opinions herein are those of the grantee and do not necessarily reflect those of the U.S. Department of Education.

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Some of the information contained in this article derives from a previous press release posted on the Augmentative Communication, INC