Hi all, *Speechless*, a sitcom debuting tonight on ABC in the US, will be the first TV show to feature a disabled lead character who uses an augmentative and alternative communication system instead of oral speech to express themselves. In advance of the premiere, I've written an op-ed for *VICE Motherboard* on the show's potential to generate conversation about the complex intersections of voice, agency, and technology -- particularly in today's political environment: http://motherboard.vice.com/read/what-abcs-new-tv-series- speechless-can-tell-us-about-voice The commentary is based on my book *Giving Voice: Mobile Communication, Disability, and Inequality* (MIT Press, forthcoming 2017): https://merylalper.com/giving-voice/ Feel free to pass the article along! Also happy to hear any and all feedback. Best, Meryl -- *Meryl Alper* Assistant Professor Department of Communication Studies Northeastern University Holmes 217 m.alper@northeastern.edu merylalper.com