2024-10-22T15:09:38-05:00 2023-12-31 390974031 WEGNER CPAS LLP 419 N LEE ST ALEXANDRIA VA 223142301 990 2023-01-01 830836835 COMMUNICATION FIRST COMM 2025560573 1629 K STREET NW 300 WASHINGTON DC 20006 M CHRISTOPHER WILLIAMS TREASURER 2025560573 2024-10-22 1 1 GLENN MILLER CPA P00086726 7035190990 2024-10-21 2023 2024-10-15 13:58:12Z TAUNA SZYMANSKI 1629 K STREET NW 300 WASHINGTON DC 20006 227996 0 X COMMUNICATIONFIRST.ORG X 2018 DC SEE SCHEDULE O. 10 10 5 20 0 0 402951 180265 15023 47731 4807 0 0 0 422781 227996 0 0 0 0 51447 344331 0 0 3990 234410 40506 285857 384837 136924 -156841 498371 341635 410 515 497961 341120 X TO PROTECT THE RIGHTS AND ADVANCE THE INTERESTS OF THE ESTIMATED 5 MILLION CHILDREN AND ADULTS IN THE UNITED STATES WHO CANNOT RELY ON SPEECH ALONE TO BE HEARD AND UNDERSTOOD, THROUGH PUBLIC EDUCATION, SYSTEMIC REFORM OF POLICY AND PRACTICE, AND LEGAL ADVOCACY. 0 0 315693 0 47731 SEE SCHEDULE O. 315693 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 5 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 X 10 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 CA CO CT DC FL HI MD ME NJ NY RI VA WA X M CHRISTOPHER WILLIAMS 2025560573 1629 K STREET NW STE 300 WASHINGTON DC 20006 TAUNA SZYMANSKI EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR & LEGAL DIRECTOR 60.00 X 97641 0 600 JORDYN ZIMMERMAN CHAIR 10.00 X X 0 0 0 FRANCISCO RAMIREZ VICE-CHAIR 1.00 X X 0 0 0 GITA GUPTA SECRETARY 1.00 X X 0 0 0 M CHRISTOPHER WILLIAMS TREASURER (FROM SEPT 2023) 4.00 X X 0 0 0 SUSIE LOTHARIUS TREASURER (THRU SEPT 2023), DIRECTOR 2.00 X X 0 0 0 MARIA OTT SECRETARY (THRU APR 2023) 2.00 X X 0 0 0 INDIA OCHS DIRECTOR 1.00 X 0 0 0 MELISSA CRISP-COOPER DIRECTOR 1.00 X 0 0 0 TIM JIN DIRECTOR 1.00 X 0 0 0 LATEEF MCLEOD DIRECTOR 1.00 X 0 0 0 ERIN SHELDON DIRECTOR 1.00 X 0 0 0 CLARISSA KRIPKE DIRECTOR (THRU APR 2023) 3.00 X 0 0 0 97641 0 600 0 0 0 0 0 10000 170265 180265 CONTRACTED SERVICES 900099 45850 45850 MERCHANDISE 900099 1881 1881 47731 227996 47731 0 0 98241 90000 7140 1101 202906 196471 5577 858 17497 16622 700 175 25687 25687 2041 2041 17630 17630 4619 3928 673 18 304 304 4122 419 1883 1820 3432 2947 485 722 722 880 880 2517 1630 887 2442 1667 757 18 MEMBERSHIP DUES 825 825 972 972 384837 315693 65154 3990 308803 317341 0 14463 181451 805 550 1459 7567 7567 498371 341635 410 515 410 515 X 302961 290703 195000 50417 497961 341120 498371 341635 -156841 0 X 0 0 0 X 114436 256967 255029 402951 180265 1209648 114436 256967 255029 402951 180265 1209648 658916 550732 1209648 88418 0.45530 X RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED 384837 384837 76967 19242 0 0 46307 57171 76967 180445 270668 6360 5000 11360 11577 14293 19242 45112 67668 FORM 990, PART I, LINE 1, DESCRIPTION OF ORGANIZATION MISSION: TO PROTECT THE RIGHTS AND ADVANCE THE INTERESTS OF THE ESTIMATED 5 MILLION CHILDREN AND ADULTS IN THE UNITED STATES WHO CANNOT RELY ON SPEECH ALONE TO BE HEARD AND UNDERSTOOD, THROUGH PUBLIC EDUCATION, SYSTEMIC REFORM OF POLICY AND PRACTICE, AND LEGAL ADVOCACY. FORM 990, PART III, LINE 4A, PROGRAM SERVICE ACCOMPLISHMENTS: COMMUNICATION FIRST IS THE ONLY DISABILITY-LED NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION FOCUSED ON PROTECTING THE HUMAN AND CIVIL RIGHTS AND ADVANCING THE INTERESTS OF THE ESTIMATED 5 MILLION CHILDREN AND ADULTS IN THE UNITED STATES WHO CANNOT RELY ON SPEECH ALONE TO BE HEARD AND UNDERSTOOD DUE TO DISABILITY OR OTHER CONDITION AND REGARDLESS OF CAUSE OR AGE OF ONSET. COMMUNICATION FIRST IS A CROSS-DISABILITY, CROSS-GENERATIONAL, MULTI-RACIAL, AND MULTICULTURAL DISABILITY-LED CIVIL RIGHTS ORGANIZATION. WE PROMOTE SYSTEMIC CHANGE THROUGH PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT, POLICY AND PRACTICE REFORM, AND LEGAL ADVOCACY. MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY ARE REGULARLY DENIED THE TOOLS AND SUPPORT THEY NEED TO EFFECTIVELY COMMUNICATE; WRONGFULLY ASSESSED AND STIGMATIZED FOR LIFE; DEPRIVED OF AN INCLUSIVE, EQUALLY EFFECTIVE EDUCATION; SEGREGATED AND INSTITUTIONALIZED; ISOLATED AND EXCLUDED FROM EVERYDAY LIFE, INCLUDING THE EVER-MORE-IMPORTANT DIGITAL WORLD; SUBJECTED TO INFERIOR HEALTH CARE; ABUSED AND VICTIMIZED; AND FAR WORSE. RESEARCH AND LIVED EXPERIENCE SUGGEST THAT BLACK, BROWN, MULTILINGUAL, AND OTHER MULTIPLY MARGINALIZED INDIVIDUALS ARE BOTH MORE LIKELY TO NEED AUGMENTATIVE AND ALTERNATIVE COMMUNICATION (AAC) AT SOME POINT IN LIFE AND TO EXPERIENCE HARSH AND COMPOUNDING FORMS OF SOCIETAL OPPRESSION AND DISCRIMINATION AS A RESULT. THE UNWARRANTED ASSUMPTIONS, STEREOTYPES, AND DISCRIMINATION WE STILL EXPERIENCE OFTEN STEM FROM THE OUTDATED AND HARD-WIRED POLICIES AND PRACTICES OF FEDERAL, STATE, AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTAL ENTITIES. IT IS STILL THE NORM FOR COUNTLESS NUMBERS OF OUR CONSTITUENTS TO BE OSTRACIZED AND PERCEIVED AND TREATED AS LESS THAN: AS HAVING LESS INTELLECT, LESS TO SAY, AND NO NEED OR RIGHT TO DO SO - ALL, IRONICALLY, BECAUSE OTHERS CANNOT UNDERSTAND THEM. COMMUNICATION FIRST IS TRANSFORMING THE NATIONAL CONVERSATION ABOUT THE LEGAL RIGHTS AND LIVED EXPERIENCES OF PEOPLE WHO NEED AND USE AAC TOOLS AND SUPPORTS. WE ARE ENSURING CONVERSATIONS AT THE FEDERAL AND STATE LEVEL AROUND POLICY ISSUES THAT IMPACT US - GUARDIANSHIP, ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE, RESTRAINT AND SECLUSION, EDUCATION, ACCESS TO JUSTICE, EMPLOYMENT, INSTITUTIONALIZATION, EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION, AND MORE INCLUDE OUR VOICES AND ADDRESS OUR INTERESTS. WE ARE AMBITIOUS AND UNRELENTING DISABLED ADVOCATES WHO BELIEVE IN RADICAL INCLUSION AND ACCEPTANCE. WE ARE FIGHTING TO CHANGE HEARTS AND MINDS, AND TO BUILD A WORLD THAT CENTERS JUSTICE, COMMUNITY, DIGNITY, AND HUMANITY. AND WE ARE JUST GETTING STARTED. IN 2023, IN THE AREA OF PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT AND AWARENESS, COMMUNICATION FIRST CONTINUED TO USE THE POWER OF DIGITAL STORYTELLING TO BEGIN TO SHATTER THE DOMINANT SOCIETAL NARRATIVE ABOUT PEOPLE WITH SPEECH-RELATED DISABILITIES. WORKING WITH DC-BASED SCHOOLTALK, INC., A NONPROFIT DC-BASED COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION THAT WORKS WITH YOUNG ADULTS WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES TO BUILD FILMMAKING-RELATED JOB SKILLS (AMONG OTHERS), WE WERE AWARDED FUNDING FROM THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA'S DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES COUNCIL AND HUMANITIES DC TO FUND THE THIRD FILM IN THE SEE US, HEAR US SERIES, THIS ONE PROFILING BOB WILLIAMS, THE ONLY PERSON TO REACH THE US GOVERNMENT'S SENIOR EXECUTIVE SERVICE TO RELY ON AAC, AND A PROMINENT NATIONAL CIVIL AND DISABILITY RIGHTS ADVOCATE (HTTPS://COMMUNICATIONFIRST.ORG/SEE-US-HEAR-US/). THE SEE US, HEAR US FILMS, AS WELL AS THE 2021 FILM LISTEN (HTTPS://COMMUNICATIONFIRST.ORG/LISTEN), HAVE BEEN INCORPORATED INTO COURSES ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND HAVE GAINED LARGE ONLINE AUDIENCES, PRAISE, AND MULTIPLE AWARDS. IN 2023, WE ALSO CREATED A NOW WIDELY-REFERENCED RESOURCE CALLED "THE WORDS WE USE" TO EXPLAIN WHY COMMUNICATION FIRST CHOOSES TO USE AND NOT USE CERTAIN TERMINOLOGY (INCLUDING "NONVERBAL") TO DESCRIBE OUR POPULATION. WE ALSO WROTE ABOUT THE FACT THAT DIGITAL ACCESSIBILITY FOR AAC USERS IS A HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUE, AND ABOUT THE CONNECTION BETWEEN POLICE BRUTALITY AND SPEECH-RELATED DISABILITY. AND WE WERE HONORED TO RECEIVE AN AWARD FROM THE ASSOCIATION OF UNIVERSITY CENTERS ON DISABILITIES FOR "LEADERSHIP IN ADVOCATING FOR INCLUSIVE COMMUNITIES FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES AND THEIR FAMILIES." IN 2023, IN THE AREA OF POLICY AND PRACTICE REFORM, COMMUNICATION FIRST BEGAN ADVANCING THE IDEA THAT PARTICIPATORY ACTION RESEARCH SHOULD INCLUDE PEOPLE WHO NEED AND USE AAC, AND WORKED WITH THE NIDCD TO CREATE THE FIRST OPPORTUNITY FOR AAC USERS TO PROVIDE INPUT TO THE AGENCY ON RESEARCH FUNDING PRIORITIES OVER THE NEXT DECADE. IN CONJUNCTION WITH THAT EFFORT, WE CREATED A GUIDE FOR OUR MEMBERS CALLED "WHAT IS RESEARCH? AND ENCOURAGED AAC USERS TO SUBMIT COMMENTS TO TWO GOVERNMENT AGENCIES TO SHARE THEIR PERSONAL PRIORITIES FOR FUTURE RESEARCH ABOUT AAC AND AAC USERS. TOGETHER WITH THE DISABILITY RIGHTS AND EDUCATION DEFENSE FUND (DREDF) AND THE ADVICE OF A DIVERSE PANEL OF THOUGHT LEADERS, WE RELEASED A REPORT AND HELD A WEBINAR ABOUT THE LACK OF ACCURATE STATISTICAL DATA IN THE UNITED STATES ABOUT PEOPLE WHO REQUIRE AAC AND THE UNMET NEEDS AND BARRIERS THEY FACE (HTTPS://COMMUNICATIONFIRST.ORG/AAC-COUNTS). THE AAC COUNTS PROJECT'S FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS AIM TO PUSH FOR LONG OVERDUE DATA EQUITY REFORMS TO ENSURE THAT PEOPLE NEEDING AAC, ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO ARE MULTIPLY MARGINALIZED, GET COUNTED FOR THE FIRST TIME. COMMUNICATION FIRST ALSO PREPARED AND SUBMITTED COMMENTS IN RESPONSE TO PROPOSED RULEMAKINGS AND OTHER ACTIONS TO THE US DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, US CENSUS BUREAU, NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH, NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON DISABILITY, INDEPENDENT LIVING, AND REHABILITATION RESEARCH, FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION, US DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, US HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, US DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON DEAFNESS AND OTHER COMMUNICATION DISORDERS, ADMINISTRATION FOR COMMUNITY LIVING, AND THE OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET. COMMUNICATION FIRST WAS ALSO AN ACTIVE PARTICIPANT IN THE CONSORTIUM FOR CONSTITUENTS WITH DISABILITIES' EDUCATION, HEALTH, DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES, AND RIGHTS TASK FORCES. IN THE AREA OF LEGAL ADVOCACY, COMMUNICATION FIRST CONTINUED TO PROVIDE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND TRAINING ON COMMUNICATION RIGHTS LAW FOR LAWYERS AROUND THE COUNTRY. WE ALSO PARTICIPATED AS AMICUS CURIAE IN COURT CASES ON DISABILITY RIGHTS ISSUES, INCLUDING IN THE US SUPREME COURT. FORM 990, PART VI, SECTION B, LINE 11B A COPY OF THE FORM 990 IS REVIEWED AND VOTED ON BY THE EACH VOTING MEMBER OF THE GOVERNING BODY AT A BOARD MEETING PRIOR TO BEING FILED WITH THE IRS. FORM 990, PART VI, SECTION B, LINE 12C THE SECRETARY AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR MONITOR THE ANNUAL AFFIRMATION DEADLINE FOR EACH BOARD MEMBER AND SEND REMINDERS AS NECESSARY. FORM 990, PART VI, SECTION C, LINE 19 GOVERNING DOCUMENTS, CONFLICT OF INTEREST POLICY, AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS ARE MADE AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST.