Jennifer Wyman

Jennifer Wyman was diagnosed with MS in ’97, one year after receiving her BA in English and one day after her 23rd birthday. She was using a cane when she started grad school in 2001. By the time she earned her master’s in English, she required special input accommodations to type her thesis. By 2012, she was in a wheelchair full-time. Nevertheless, she managed to build her business as a freelance academic editor and format reviewer, working closely with Fordham University. She was a full quadriplegic when she returned to grad school for her MA in Theology and began teaching religious education. Currently, she serves as the Senior Editor at iPub Cloud Intl./iPub Global Connection and is the author of two books.

None of these accomplishments would have been possible without assistive technology. Everything she has written since 2002 has been composed using voice-to-text software, touchscreens accessed with a mouth stylus, and eye-tracking pointers. Her quality of life would be significantly less without this technology. She believes in this project. Children must recognize that the power to shape their own lives and futures is a fundamental right, not a privileged exception. Her own journey, marked by moments of powerlessness, frustration, and profound grief over the unfairness of it all, underscores the importance of this realization. In an era where technology is increasingly accessible, it’s imperative to leverage it to ensure every child has the tools to navigate through life autonomously, confidently, and empowered by their super abilities.