There was a time in my life when silence wasn’t a choice, it was a reality. A reality shaped by a disability I never asked for, and a world that didn’t yet know how to listen. My name is Abdi Omar, and this is the story of how I went from being voiceless to becoming a voice for others and why joining Liberator as an ambassador is more than just a role. It’s a homecoming.
Early Life and the Challenge of Silence
I was born in Somalia, during a time of conflict and displacement. I entered this world with cerebral palsy, a condition that affects my movement and speech. My family moved to the UK seeking safety and a better future. But even with this new beginning, life was filled with barriers; physical, social, and emotional.
As a child, I had so much to say, but no way to say it. People often assumed I wasn’t capable, simply because I couldn’t speak. I was misunderstood, underestimated, and often excluded – not just from conversations, but from opportunities to thrive. I was placed in schools that didn’t challenge me, surrounded by people who couldn’t see beyond my wheelchair or my silence.
But I knew my mind was sharp. I knew I had value. I just needed a way to prove it.
Discovering AAC – A Door Opens
That door opened the day I was introduced to AAC – Augmentative and Alternative Communication. My first AAC device wasn’t fancy. It was a communication book with a light pointer. But to me, it was revolutionary. It meant I could finally express basic wants and needs. Then came my first high-tech device: my voice, through a screen. I can still remember the feeling when I typed a full sentence and pressed the button to speak it aloud. It was my first taste of independence. My first real conversation. My first “I am here.”
It changed everything.
Suddenly, I wasn’t just a boy in a wheelchair. I was a communicator. A student. A thinker. And eventually, a mentor.
AAC gave me a path to my identity. It helped me build relationships, gain an education, and most importantly, develop self-belief. And that journey brought me to where I am today.
Founding Limitless Minds Group (LMG)
In 2018, I founded Limitless Minds Group (LMG). At the time, it was just an idea born from frustration and hope. Frustration that so many young people were being left behind due to lack of proper AAC support. And hope that maybe I could be the person I never had growing up.
I didn’t have a business plan or a team. What I did have was experience. I knew what it was like to be underestimated, and I knew what it felt like to find your voice after years of silence.
LMG started small, with mentoring sessions and local school visits. But over time, it grew. Today, we offer mentoring, training, and consultancy across the UK and beyond. We work with students, families, educators, therapists, and organisations, providing real-world insight from someone who lives the AAC journey every day.
Through LMG, I’ve mentored over 200+ AAC users, delivered workshops in mainstream and special schools, and trained hundreds of professionals on how to bring out the potential in every student. And I do it all through my AAC device.
Why This Matters
I’m not sharing this story for sympathy. I’m sharing it because it highlights the power of inclusion. Of believing in people before they believe in themselves. Of giving someone the right tool and watching them fly.
Too often, we talk about disability in terms of limitation. But AAC flips that on its head. It shows that communication is more than speaking – it’s expressing identity, forming relationships, sharing dreams, and shaping futures.
The impact goes far beyond the individual. When a student gains confidence in using their device, they do better in school. When teachers are properly trained, they create more inclusive classrooms. When families understand AAC, home life becomes more connected and less frustrating. This is what I call a ripple effect, and this is what fuels my work with both LMG and Liberator.
Looking Ahead
As a Liberator Ambassador, I will continue to use my platform to inspire, educate, and advocate. I’ll create content that reflects real AAC experiences, deliver talks that challenge assumptions, and work to ensure that AAC users, especially young people, feel seen and supported.
We have a long way to go. Too many people with communication needs are still being overlooked. But together, we’re changing that. And I’m proud to stand with Liberator on this mission.
If you take anything away from this blog, let it be this: Communication changes lives. I know this, because it changed mine.
And now, I want to make sure it changes someone else’s too.
Thank you for reading. And thank you, Liberator, for helping me (and so many others!) find our voices.