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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