Beth Moulam

Profile

Biography

I’ve been an electronic AAC user since the age of 4. I recall little of life except living as a multi-modal communicator, every day.

I’m the product of both mainstream and special schools.  In 2013 I began my undergraduate degree at the University of York in Social Policy, graduating in 2021.  I get 100% extra study time due to my physical disability, speech and hearing impairments. In late 2022 I returned to the Univerity of York to begin a MRes in Social Policy which will take me 3 years as a fulltime student.

Throughout my undergraduate degree my hobby was playing boccia, which became more serious as my studies continued.  I was fortunate enough to be selected to represent Great Britain in the Tokyo 2020 (2021) Paralympics which was a huge honour.  I have now retired having achieved my dream of representing my nation at the highest possible level. 

Outside of study and sport then the world of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) has always played a huge part in my life.  I attended my first International Society of AAC (ISAAC) conference in 2006 (age 12) and I’m now a Trustee of Communication Matters which is the UK branch of ISAAC.  In 2022 I was invited to be Patron of 1 Voice a charity supporting young AAC users and their families.  Helping others fulfil their own communication potential is important to me. There is something special about sharing your passion to empower others with committed supporters, from all walks of life, who equally share your passion.   

I also sit on the International Communication Rights Alliance committee, an organisation whose objective is to operationalise the UNCRPD in relation to communication rights.  I was privileged to be asked to address the CRPD committee on their behalf in August 2022.