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This is the third iteration of the NJC Communication Bill of Rights. The NJC originally developed it to ensure the basic rights of persons with severe disabilities to affect, through communication, the conditions of their existence (NJC, 1992). In 2016, a second version added three more socially focused rights (Brady et al., 2016). In response to feedback from the NJC Network—a group consisting of family members of people with severe disabilities and professionals—this most recent iteration consolidates and simplifies the wording of the rights so as to make them understandable to all. In a separate guidance document, the NJC provides information about each right. That document also provides strategies and practices for families, caregivers, professionals, and self-advocates as they interact and communicate with persons with severe disabilities (NJC, 2024). People have a fundamental right to communicate in all parts of their lives. These communication rights promote full participation across the lifespan. (National Joint Committee for the Communication Needs of Persons with Severe Disabilities, 2024).

Widget Symbols ⓒ Widget Software Ltd 2002-2025 For more information on the Communication Bill of Rights, follow this link to the National Joint Committee for the Communication Needs of Persons With Severe Disabilities (NJC) website: https://www.asha.org/njc/