There’s a lot of important issues going on right now within the disability community, and I do (hopefully) plan on writing about it. In the meantime, I needed something a little more positive – which means a new special interest has arrived.

Like a lot of people at the moment, my current hyper-fixation is Project Hail Mary. I’ve always been a fan of science fiction, so this is not a surprise. I first read the book during my most recent stay at the epilepsy unit and immediately fell in love.
The film, even more so.

If you haven’t read it, listened to the audiobook, or watched the film – be warned for spoilers ahead!

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In the storyline, scientists are trying to figure out why the sun is getting dimmer and how to stop it. The main character is trying to solve the issue – and meets an alien who he affectionately names “Rocky.”

Rocky’s species communicates through sound and musical notes, so communication is a bit of a challenge. Solving the barrier between species takes a lot of work, dedication, and creative thinking.

With my autism and the traumatic brain injuries, I can relate in many ways – especially in terms of both navigating neurotypical communication and in speech itself.

(I’m also personally convinced that the character Ryland Grace is autistic, but that’s a whole other post).

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There’s a scene in the film that particularly stuck with me: when Rocky picks out a voice from a device to translate. It’s a small scene and just one of many favorites, but it resonated a lot with me as a person who relies on a communication device.

One of the most impactful moments is Rocky choosing the voice himself. You’ll find that voices are often deeply personal for those who use them; they are an extension of ourselves, regardless of the avenue. Rocky’s reactions to the different voices made me laugh because it was so very familiar.

When it comes to choosing voices, there’s so many factors – and they often get chosen for us based on assumptions, whether in gender stereotypes or even accents. You have to consider the speed, the pitch, and how it “feels” to the AAC user. It can be genuinely difficult to choose, especially if your options are limited. In Rocky’s case, it took several attempts to find a voice that he liked (James Ortiz, the puppeteer behind the scenes).

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It sounds a little silly but watching the film felt like being seen – something on the main screen, normalizing the use of a communication device in a culture that prioritizes speech. It never even clicks that it’s an accessibility tool; it’s seen as another facet of the character. Of course it plays a little into the trope of an alien representing disability, but I still love it.

It means a lot to see difference celebrated, and even more in how the main character takes so much care and time into understanding Rocky. Even more, this effort of communication is key to saving both of their worlds. Despite words not spoken aloud, they’re still valuable and taken seriously. It’s something that especially stuck with me throughout the film.

People often have different reactions when it comes to those with speech disabilities – and with disabilities in general. Some are unbothered, while others are somehow fascinated. Meanwhile, some people find us strange or try to avoid us altogether. Add in the autism, and it’s even more so. The effort to understand falls flat as people perceive our thoughts to not be worth it. It takes effort from all sides to make those connections, not just from the person with the disability.

I find that people are often afraid of what they don’t know. In terms of disability, it’s often refusing to acknowledge that disability could happen to anyone – at any time. We are all one diagnosis or accident away from becoming disabled. And if you’re lucky to live long enough, our physical bodies will eventually begin to struggle too.

There’s a deep fear of losing independence that no one likes to address, especially in our culture. We see such a heavy focus on “doing it yourself” and self-sufficiency, but we lose sight of a fundamental truth: we are all interconnected in some capacity. Humanity is intertwined with one another and no one is truly alone. Interdependence is deep within our nature.

Disability has always been a natural part of the human experience. It’s neither good nor bad; it simply is.

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Communication is a vital part of the human experience – whether through speech, communication devices, sign language, gestures, sounds, and more. People need other people, and communication facilitates that connection.

And in the case of Project Hail Mary, those connections aren’t always through words alone – or even human.

Everyone deserves that connection, regardless of how they communicate.

• Reflections