The 2025 Prentke Lecture Recipient: Shannon Voss
Bridging Differences and Enhancing Social Inclusion Using AAC
Friday, January 31, 2025 | 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Ways to Watch:
- In person at the ATIA 2025 conference in Orlando
- Online via the ATIA 2025 Virtual Event
- Online by accessing ATIA’s YouTube channel
Congratulations to the 2025 Prentke AAC Distinguished Lecturer, Shannon Voss! Join Shannon and ATIA for his presentation, Bridging Differences and Enhancing Social Inclusion Using AAC, during the ATIA 2025 Conference. This presentation will also be live streamed for free as part of the ATIA 2025 Virtual Event.
Shannon will share his journey as a former college student using AAC, how he faced challenges related to other people’s assumptions, and provide strategies for fostering engagement with the AAC community.
Join us and celebrate Shannon’s success in Orlando or virtually!
About Shannon Voss
Shannon is a captivating, intuitive thinker. Most people who meet him are wowed by his determination and courageous demeanor. He uses the text-to-speech application on his iPad as a way to communicate on a daily basis.
In high school, Shannon maintained strong grades while also holding down a job and was selected as valedictorian of his graduating class. After high school, Shannon enrolled as a business administration major at the University of Illinois. It was at the end of his sophomore year in college that Shannon’s whole life changed when one of Shannon’s fraternity brothers found him passed out. He had contracted a rare case of shingles that traveled to his brain. This led to several diagnoses, but the main one that has altered his life is varicella encephalopathy. Shannon had to change the whole direction of his life from going to school to going to therapy. He had to relearn basic movements for everyday life from sitting up and standing up to speaking and eating.
During rehabilitation, Shannon dreamed of going back to school and earning his degree. In 2021, he enrolled at Parkland College, but just two months after returning to school, he lost his beloved mother. At this time, Shannon began writing poetry to process his pain. Grieving the loss of his mother and still receiving a 4.0 grade point average was a remarkable achievement. Last year, he graduated with an associate’s degree in sociology.
Shannon has received numerous awards and recognitions, including the Geoff Griffith Mathematics Scholarship, a feature on the Carle’s Hospital website, and he was the guest speaker for graduate speech pathologist students at Depaul University and the University of Chicago. He gave the commencement address at his college graduation using the text-to-speech application on his iPad. Shannon was also the face of a marketing campaign at his college. Recently, Shannon was part of a five-installment session with WILL-TV, giving audiences a glimpse into his life.
Shannon believes the accident that changed his life helped shape him into a more mature person because he experienced two different versions of life. Shannon’s post-graduation plans include helping others who have been in situations similar to his own.
The Edwin and Esther Prentke Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) Distinguished Lecture was initiated in 1997 to honor the life and work of the late Edwin and Esther Prentke.
The Prentkes dedicated their lives to developing technologies that liberate the lives of people with disabilities. The lecture is delivered by a person who uses augmentative and alternative communication (PWUAAC) to communicate. The lecture is followed by a time of interaction with the audience, allowing the audience to ask questions and interact with a PWUAAC.
Sponsored by:
