How Abdi Omar Turns AAC Into a Limitless Voice (Full Transcript)

[00:00:03] Speaker 1: I want to be one of the best actors in cinema. Full stop. I want to try modeling. Why not? I believe in breaking expectations, not fitting into them. Just because I communicate differently doesn't mean I dream any smaller. In fact I dream even bigger.

[00:00:26] Speaker 2: The camera loves me.

[00:00:32] Speaker 1: My name is Abdi Omar. I was born in Somalia and raised in the UK as a lifelong AAC user. I know firsthand what it feels like to be underestimated and unheard. Cerebral palsy makes everyday life physically challenging. I can't fully control my muscles. And when they tighten up it can be painful and frustrating. This makes normal things such as eating, talking and walking impossible. But I'll be real with you. I've never seen my disability as a disadvantage. In fact I've learned how to turn it into my greatest strength. For 18 years I didn't have a voice until I discovered assistive technology. That changed my life.

[00:01:22] Speaker 2: Hello everyone. It's an honor to be here today speaking with you all. My name is Abdi Omar. I was born with cerebral palsy. A condition...

[00:01:29] Speaker 1: Now I'm a public speaker, educator and the founder of Limitless Minds Group. An organization dedicated to empowering people with disabilities. Particularly people that use augmentative and alternative communication, like me, through training, mentoring and advocacy. I use my platform to inspire others, train professionals and prove that communication disabilities are not limitations. They are just different ways of connecting. We help people realize that limitations don't come from the body or the mind. They come from society's expectations and we break those down one conversation at a time. Running my own business wasn't something people expected from someone like me. But again, I don't live by people's expectations. I live by my purpose. I never had a role model who looked or communicated like me. And I know how powerful that would have been. I want to break boundaries in the media, fashion, business and law. I'm proud to use Eleven Labs voice technology as part of my journey. It helps bring humanity, emotion and confidence to how I express myself every day. Before we discovered Eleven Labs, I was using a voice that felt robotic and lifeless. It got the words out, but it didn't sound like me. It didn't reflect my personality, my humor or the emotion behind what I was saying. It was like speaking through a machine, not a mirror of who I am. Finding Eleven Labs was a turning point. For the first time, I had a voice that felt human, natural and real. And when your voice feels real, you feel more real. I'm driven to be successful, and I feel sorry for anyone who wants to stop me, because I will run them down. I'm busy enjoying my life.