Rosemary Crossley

Rosemary Crossley
AM
Born(1945-05-06)6 May 1945
Horsham, Victoria, Australia
Died10 May 2023(2023-05-10) (aged 78)
NationalityAustralian
Known forFacilitated communication
Notable workAnnie's Coming Out

Rosemary Crossley AM (6 May 1945 – 10 May 2023) was an Australian author and advocate for disability rights. She was one of the first major advocates for facilitated communication (FC), a scientifically discredited technique which purports to help non-verbal people communicate.[1] Crossley was the director of the Anne McDonald Centre near Melbourne, Victoria, which provides assessment and augmentative communication services in Victoria, Australia.[1][2] The award-winning 1984 film Annie's Coming Out, known as Test of Love in the USA, was made about her work and life with a woman named Anne McDonald, whom she met at St Nicholas's Hospital in Melbourne in the 1970s and later brought to live with her.[3] Crossley dedicated her life to helping those with little or no functional speech. She died after a short battle with cancer on 10 May 2023, at the age of 78.[4]

  1. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Science2.0 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ "Our Director – Rosemary Crossley". Anne McDonald Centre. Retrieved 12 November 2015.
  3. ^ "Annie's Coming Out". NFSA Online Shop. Retrieved 12 May 2023.
  4. ^ Morris, Linda (11 May 2023). "Rosemary Crossley Obituary, Member Of Anne McDonald Centre Has Died". today obits. Retrieved 12 May 2023.