JCPSLP Vol 14 No 2 2012

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JCPSLP Volume 14, Number 2 2012 99
needs were supported to deliver statewide forums on
creating communication friendly environments. These are
environments where people will:
• treat them with dignity and respect
• talk directly to them and not the person with them
• give them time to get their message across
• listen to their message
• be willing to use other methods of communicating.
Now in 2012 the Communication Access Network, in
partnership with people with communication difficulties, will
be working to promote the Communication Access Symbol
and the concept of communication access across Victoria.
Please visit the Scope website to see how you can make
your service or facility communication accessible.
concept of a communication friendly state. There have been
over 50 projects implemented statewide. It started with the
“Libraries for all” project done in partnership with the State
Library Network and VicNet. The State Library Network
represents all public libraries across the state, and VicNet
is a division of the State Library Network. VicNet helps the
library to meet its goal of providing access to information
for everyone and strengthening communities through the
use of information technology. The “Libraries for all” project
placed communication aids in all 262 public libraries.
After these developments came a series of projects
with the theme of “Good Communication is Good
Business”. These involved partnerships with retailers
such as Centro, Westfield, Stockland, and other smaller
shops and cafes. In these projects, shops and services
were provided with communication aids and tip sheets for
serving customers with little or no speech. The Inclusive
Leisure Initiative involved engaging gyms and aquatic
centres in communication access. Communication aids
were again provided, but disability awareness training
was also included, co-presented by people with complex
communication needs. Two transport initiatives were Talking
taxis – providing communication aids to all M50 cabs (M50
cabs are the modified cabs able to carry passengers who
use wheelchairs, scooters, and other mobility aids) – and
Talking Transport, which makes bus travel in the Gippsland
region accessible. The Talking Transport project involved
developing a photo-based bus timetable. Each bus stop
was represented by a photo or logo of a landmark unique
to that stop. This allowed people with limited literacy to
travel independently
Page/page.asp?Page_Id=2001&h=1). Resources for
Talking Transport and Inclusive Leisure may be found on
the Wellington Shire website .
au/).
As the work of the CAN has progressed there has
been an evolution in the involvement of people with
complex communication needs. Some early projects just
focused on community awareness and information about
complex communication needs and communication
access. For example, CAN produced fact sheets about
complex communication needs and developed posters
highlighting some of the projects mentioned earlier. Better
planning of projects has led to more consultation with
people with complex communication needs, with focus
groups and surveys allowing us to better identify needs.
Such developments have informed the direction of CAN
and many projects now include people with complex
communication needs on advisory groups and co-
presenting workshops.
Working alongside people with complex communication
needs and the challenges of creating sustainable
communication environments highlighted the need for
a common symbol to identify communication access.
The symbol was ratified through a statewide consultative
process which followed the Australian Standard AS
2342-1992 guide (Standards Australia, 1992). After
much collaboration, the Communication Access Symbol
was launched in Victoria on 17 November 2011. People
with complex communication needs were instrumental
in developing the criteria which define communication
access. And in 2011 people with complex communication
Correspondence to:
Karen Bloomberg
Consultant speech pathologist
Communication Resource Centre, Scopt
830 Whitehorse Road, Box Hill, VIC 3128
phone: +61 (0)3 9843 2000
email:
References
Beukelman, D. R. & Mirenda, P. (2005). Augmentative and
alternative communication: Supporting children and adults
with complex communication needs . Baltimore, MD: Paul
H. Brookes Publishing Co.
Bloomberg, K., West, D., & Johnson, H. (2004).
InterAACtion: Strategies for intentional and unintentional
communicators. Communication Resource Centre: Scope,
Victoria.
Bloomberg, K., West, D., Johnson, H., & Iacono,
T. (2009). Triple C: Checklist of Communication
Competencies. Melbourne, Victoria: Communication
Resource Centre.
Caithness, T., Brownlie, E., & Bloomberg, K. (2012).
Getting started with Key Word Sign . Key Word Sign
Australia, Callaghan, NSW: University of Newcastle.
Communication Access Network (2010). Communication
Access Network Guidelines 2010 . Unpublished document.
Disability Services Division, (2002). The Victoria state
disability plan 2002–2012 . Melbourne Department of
Human Services, Victorian Government. www.dhs.vic.gov.
au
Standards Australia. (1992). Development, testing
and implementation of information and safety symbols
and symbolic signs AS 2342-1992 . Standards Australia
International Ltd: Sydney.