MISSION
STATEMENT
1AC-CESSIBILITY (pronounced “one-accessibility” or “one-AC” for short) is dedicated to making the American high school activity of speech and debate more accessible for its disabled participants, especially those who also experience marginalization based on their race, gender, sexual orientation, economic status, country of origin, immigration status, language(s) spoken, and/or history of incarceration.
We recognize that speech and debate is a valuable experience while also being deeply inequitable. This means it is all the more important that governing bodies step up and make this extracurricular more inclusive so that a greater number of students can benefit from the education, life skills, and experiences it has to offer.
1AC-CESSIBILITY is firmly committed to incorporating the needs, opinions, and desires of the greater disabled speech and debate community in our advocacy. To create change, this organization will directly approach speech and debate governing bodies with detailed feedback on how we believe this activity could change and be more accessible. We will also be running an online campaign across social media and our website to raise awareness for our work.
We believe that innovative ideas have the power to push this activity forward. Therefore, we invite discourse about even the most basic norms within the activity.
Thus, we stand in the strongest affirmation of the 1AC.
WHAT'S WITH THE NAME?
The "1AC" is the first speech in a debate. 1AC is an abbreviation for the "first affirmative constructive" speech. It is the speech that puts forth the general topic and points and case for debate. Our organization wants to begin a new, fresh conversation about accessibiliity, which feels pretty similar to the function of the 1AC. Plus, it is a fun coincidence that "accessibility" also starts with the letters "a" and "c."
MEET THE FOUNDERS
ALANNA CRONK
Hi! My name is Alanna. I am a junior at Georgetown University studying philosophy and English. I had the idea to start this organization when I came back to judge speech and debate after three years off. In my time away from the activity, I started college and found a passion for disability studies. In 2017, I won the California State Championships in Original Oratory. However, due to my disabilities and the inaccessibility of the activity, I only competed in two more tournaments after that championship. Coming back to the activity with my new perspective, I realized many of the things I had accepted as "the way things were done" were unfair to disabled participants and deeply inaccessible. So now, I am trying to do something about it. I hope you will come along and support this work.
TWINKIE
I am Twinkie. I am Alanna's emotional support animal. I am vital to getting Alanna out of the bed in the morning. I pee on her if she doesn't do it on time. My hobbies include chewing on bones and hunting bugs.