Travels with Jon and Sarah

Abstract

This essay describes the first author's personal and professional journey to and through the Eighth International Congress of Qualitative Inquiry. The story is told in Ron Berger's voice but is written in the context of his friendship and professional collaboration with Jon Feucht, who uses a computerized augmentative communication device to speak. From the very beginning, the authors anticipated that their experiences at the Congress would contain possibilities for collecting ethnographic data and writing an article that would illuminate the lived experience of disability and augmentative communication. After arriving at the Congress, additional possibilities for a multilayered essay unfolded as well.

Disability and Life History Research

“…Jon's two older siblings also provided written reflections of growing up with their brother. In addition, I had the opportunity to visit Jon and his wife, Sarah, in their home, attend a weeklong AVA summer camp held on the UWW campus (Berger & Feucht, 2012), and travel with Jon and Sarah to a professional conference (Berger & Feucht, 2013). These venues afforded opportunities for me, as a participant observer, to immerse myself in the world of significantly disabled people.…”