What is the social model of disability? I’ll explain it in 14 seconds. It is a pretty short period of time. 14 seconds. Less than a quarter of a minute. Could you wait 14 seconds to give someone a chance to talk or respond to a question? It isn’t a casual question. The average gap between “typical” talkers is 2 seconds. I think I probably last …..maybe a second… MAYBE.

But, what if you have a communication disability? While in the middle of another study, some researchers simply waited and listened to a set of 12 young adolescents who were identified as having “minimal verbal skills” and identified as with autism or other developmental disabilities. All the researchers did was wait. Wait and give these young people a chance to speak at their own pace. No hurrying. No interventions. No therapy. No interruptions. Just wait.

I’m your host, Steven Davis and welcome to episode 9 of Disability Democracy. This weekly podcast is about practical actions that YOU can take – to make a difference in your community. The goal of Disability Democracy is to accelerate the disability community revolution. Find out more at disabilitydemocracy.org.

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