In her speech, Bonker also thanked the “faculty, administrators, and staff who fed our brains and nurtured our souls” and shined a light on the 31 million nonspeaking autistic people worldwide who have not had the privilege of learning how to type.

“I have typed this speech with one finger with a communication partner holding a keyboard,” Bonker said in her commencement speech. “I am one of the lucky few nonspeaking autistics who have been taught to type. That one critical intervention unlocked my mind from its silent cage, enabling me to communicate and to be educated like my hero Helen Keller.”

Bonker told USA TODAY how this moment was months in the making and how important it was to share her experience with typing to communicate.

“This commencement address was so important to me. I worked on it for months,” Bonker told USA TODAY, answering questions by typing with one finger,” she said.

“God gave you a voice. Use it. And know, the irony of a nonspeaking autistic encouraging you to use your voice is not lost on me.
Because if you can see the worth in me, then you can see the worth in everyone you meet” Elizabeth Bonker ~ Valedictorian ~ Rollins College pic.twitter.com/n1i5hukIUz

— Andrea (@andreaspeaker1) May 10, 2022

autism awareness

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