Hello! I’m Pancho Ramirez, a man from Michoacán, México. I spent 27 years living in the US. At 20 years old, I experienced a life-changing event when a car accident in June 2003 resulted in a brain stem stroke, leaving me paralyzed and unable to speak.

Despite these challenges, I taught myself English, earned a GED, and obtained a web developer certificate.

In addition, I was a contributor in a groundbreaking clinical trial, conducted by the University of California, in San Francisco; that aims to advance communication technology for people who doesn’t speak, and restore independence by controlling a robotic arm.

Additionally, I serve as a board member of CommunicationFIRST, the only national civil rights organization run by and for an estimated 5 million people in the US who cannot rely solely on speech to be heard and understood due to speech-related disabilities or other conditions.

Finally, the clinical trial ended after six years, and so I started to think about getting back to my roots. Now, I am back to my village in Michoacan, Mexico, where I was born, raised. I’m very happy to be back to my roots, after spending so many years in the US. Furthermore, I have the opportunity to keep serving as a board member in the organization. Which is very important for me to be able to keep advocating for individuals who have disabilities as well.

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