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Sunday 21 July 2013

Communication methods used by people with disabilities

Communication is a simple yet powerful tool. It allows one to express his/her thoughts, share information and ideas with others and engage in conversations. Since verbal communication is used in every aspect of life, some don't even realize that those who have difficulty speaking clearly may use alternative forms of communication. Over the years, I have come across many teachers, professors and speech therapists who have taught me that though I may not be able to speak as clearly as others, I can use writing and technology as supplement to overcome this barrier.


It was first during high school that teachers started teaching me how to use technology as a mode of communication. For example, an English/social studies teacher who knew that not all of the students would be able to understand me during my oral presentation suggested that I should type up my speech and allow her to photocopy it onto an overhead projector sheet. This way the students had something to follow along with when they were unable to understand something that I had said. Other high school teachers have allowed me to use Power Point when giving presentations. In fact teachers have used me a learning opportunity to show students how simple technology can allow one to overcome the barriers posed by their disability.
Now in university, it is a different story. Due to time constraints, professors have had to come up with different methods to accommodate me. For example, some professors will often give me an option of doing more of the research/work and having another group member present my part. Professors who are starting to recognize that writing is becoming an integrated part of the lives of people with disabilities will accommodate me by letting me submit a written assignment instead of having to do an oral presentation. As for class participation, if the discussion questions are pre-assigned, I type up my responses, take them to class and a student reads out my answer to the class. In situations where I cannot prepare my answers/questions in advance, the professor or a student who has does not have difficulty understanding me summarizes my answer/question so that everyone is on the same page. It is this flexibility, understanding and support of my professors and peers that has allowed me to excel and come this far in life.
Many Canadians are also starting to realize that writing is becoming a commonly used form of communication by individuals with disabilities like me. Thus, when out in the community, if one has difficulty understanding me, he or she will ask me to write it out or spell it out for them. Because I have challenge writing without a desk and chair, some Canadians will even ask me to repeat myself using different words. Though this is a technique often taught by speech therapists to people with disabilities, a lot of people are starting to use it when communicating with me.
Once in the workforce, depending on the demands of my job, I may have to start using a communication devise such as a DynaWrite, which is a small keyboard that lets you type a word, sentence, short/longer amounts of text and then reads it out loud for you. In British Columbia, an organization known as Communication Assistance for Youth and Adults (CAYA) lends out different types of communication devices to persons with disabilities as they are often expense to acquire and one's needs and preferences may change over time.
Hence, one does not have to have the ability to speak efficiently in order to communicate effectively. 



Source : TOI , 20th July 2013 

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