Loud 'N Clear: The SD Newsletter

 

 

Volume 1 Issue 4

March 2003

                

 

Quarterly newsletter of Speaking Differently -  A national organization for persons with disabilities who communicate in different ways.

 

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FROM THE PRESIDENT

 

Spring is approaching fast, and I, for one, am very glad of this fact. No more trying to maneuver my wheelchair through snow and slush, no more putting ten layers of clothing on to brave the bitter cold. Ah spring --- I can't wait!

With spring come changes, new beginnings and growth. Always trying to challenge ourselves and push forward, we at Speaking Differently are making changes of our own.

First of all, Speaking Differently is forming a "Speakers Bureau”.  On request, the Speakers Bureau will send a member of Speaking
Differently, accompanied by a facilitator, to address different
organizations. We will answer their questions and relay interesting facts about what it is like not being able to speak and how we cope with the world around us. In doing this, we hope to give people some insight and understanding into what it's like to speak differently. Our presentations will be aimed at

schools, disability organizations, hospitals, clubs, training groups, businesses and conferences. Members are available for television and radio interviews.

Secondly, the first Speaking
Differently position paper, "Education of Service Providers Who Deal with Persons Who Communicate Using AAC", has been added to the website. A brief summary appears below.  For the entire paper, go to: http://pages.istar.ca/~marshall/Speaking_Differently

 

And speaking of our website, our very own vice president/web master Paul Marshall is featured in several pictures in the most recent edition of Figuratively Speaking, an ISAAC Canada publication.
Congratulations, Paul!

And lastly, the May 22, 2003 meeting will serve as SD's annual meeting. All members will receive a notice informing them of the meeting. We hope you are able to attend.

Happy spring, everyone!

 

                     Anne Abbott, President

 

 

 

 

Education of Service Providers who Deal with Persons who Communicate Using AAC

(Augmentative and Alternative Communication)

 

SD's first position paper deals with the problems AAC users face when dealing with service providers, such as doctors, lawyers, taxi drivers, shopkeepers and government workers.  The paper includes suggestions for how to improve communication links. The full text of the paper is available on the SD web site at  http://pages.istar.ca/~marshall/Speaking_Differently.

 

Persons who use AAC have long been concerned about problems related to communicating with the service providers that they rely on for advice and assistance – government workers, professionals, bus drivers, bank tellers, etc. Their greatest concern is the tendency for persons who have a major influence on outcomes that may significantly affect their lives, such as doctors or government employees, to ignore persons with little or no speech in favour of their attendants or facilitators during assessment and treatment.

 

AAC users understand that many of these people are simply unfamiliar with severe communication disorders and are therefore anxious about dealing with persons who use AAC. Often, improvement in the situation occurs when there is an increased awareness of professionals who interact with users of AAC. With experience comes the loss of fear.  The key is to provide  AAC experience to health care professionals.

 

It is not enough to simply train the health care professionals to be better "listeners" and more understanding of persons with severe speech and physical impairments (SSPI). AAC users must also be trained to become more assertive -- to get the right tools.

The following is recommend:

·        Work towards reducing the tendency for professionals to ignore persons with little or no speech in favor of their attendants or facilitators during interactions. For example, teach the police to deal with persons with little or no speech. Whether encountered in formal situations (such as court) or on the streets, police need to recognize differences between persons with little or no speech and persons who are, say, intoxicated.

·        Advocate teaching professionals to communicate with people who use AAC during their professional training. This need not be extensive. Often one presentation along with the opportunity to actually meet and interact with a person who uses AAC can be of enormous value. For example, medical universities might be lobbied to emphasize the need for including an AAC component in the curriculum. It is recognized that this has been an ongoing aim of communication disorders programs in universities for many years and it has proven very difficult to convince the medical schools to make such classes mandatory. Other interesting approaches include video documentation of professionals actually using AAC devices for a day, making note of all the challenges they face and  “Day in the Life” programs that offer the opportunity to spend half a day as an AAC user.

·        Make available to AAC users and their facilitators web-based, video and hard copy training kits to help them succeed when dealing with health, legal, government and other professionals. Clinicians can quickly and effectively make such kits individually tailored to their AAC clients if a quality template is made available.

·        Information kits for professionals would also be helpful. They would explain some basic tools for effective communication with AAC users. They could be dropped into the SD website. Even better, they could be made available as PDA  downloads so that professionals could access useful information while with the AAC user.

·        AAC users should have information kits made by their clinician that they can provide to their health care professionals.

·        Consider encouraging AAC users to use higher-level communication aids such as computer notebooks and/or stand-alone voice output communication aids. The use of such aids, fairly or unfairly, tends to give an impression of sophistication that yields a greater degree of respect from professionals than low-tech aids such as communication boards.

·        A marketing campaign aimed at the public-at-large would be useful. A major problem in teaching the public about AAC communication aids is that most people have anxiety regarding computers and technology in general. Funding should be sought that would enable organizations such as SD to address these issues publicly. Creative ideas might also include more sensational approaches to public awareness such as a Disabled Pride Parade, recognizing that such approaches require the involvement of many disability groups to raise the money needed and do the considerable amount of work required. Again, realities must be recognized such as the opposition that some persons with disabilities have to such activities based on the belief that they only serve to highlight the differences between the disabled and non-disabled communities rather that demonstrate their similarities.

Special attention should be given to the most important of the front line workers, attendant care personnel. The first step: Ensure that the training agencies who supply the attendants provide specific training in how to communicate with persons who use AAC, that is "speak differently". 

 

SD invites your comments on this document. Your opinions will be posted on the SD web site and/or published in Loud 'N Clear.  

 

Write to b.okeefe@utoronto.ca

 

TRANSPORTATION -- UPCOMING ISSUE

The next position paper from SD will deal with transportation issues as related to AAC use.  Members who have comments are invited to send them to the Executive Committee (b.okeefe@utoronto.ca.)

 

    

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A NEW PARTNERSHIP

 

The Augmentative Communication Community Partnership-Canada (ACCPC) is an organization devoted to "promoting equality, participation and self-determination for people who use AAC”, working in partnership with SD. ACCPC board member Barbara Collier will be speaking at SD’s March 20, 2003 meeting.  SD is looking forward to collaborations with ACCPC.

ACCPC web site: www.accpc.ca

 

 

 

 

 

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HOW TO JOIN SD

If you would like to become a member of SD, send your name, address and email address to Urszula May at u.may@utoronto.ca. Fax: (416 978 1596) Or go to the website (http://pages.istar.ca/~marshall/Speaking_Differently) to obtain a membership application form.

Membership in Speaking Differently is $4.00 for people who use AAC. Students may join for $5.00. Inquire about different levels of support for persons who do not use AAC.

For information, contact Urszula May at u.may@utoronto.ca

          or write to

Speaking Differently

Rehabilitation Sciences Building
University of Toronto
Department of Speech-Language Pathology
500 University Avenue

Toronto, ON M5G 1V7

 

BRUSH UP YOUR BLISS

 

How would you like to refresh your Bliss skills for a week in cottage country this summer?  In a relaxed informal setting, you can improve your Bliss skills at the Blissymbolics Learning Centre in Bala, Muskoka.  In addition, participants can do crafts and music, and learn about nutrition, money management and other life skills.

 

Also, this year the Centre will welcome new users of Bliss and their parents.  They will be introduced to communication options opportunities that Bliss may offer.  Experienced instructors will be available.

 

For more information, contact Shirley McNaughton at the Bliss Learning Centre, 705-762-0028 or by e-mail, smcn@freespace.net

 

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Comments, kudos, complaints?

 

Send your views to the Editor at

nancy.christie@utoronto.ca

 

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