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Speak Out
October 2015
Speech Pathology Australia
BRANCH news
victoria
From 23–29 of August
, events were
held in various locations across Victoria
to raise awareness and help end the
silence that surrounds communication
difficulties.
La Trobe University
started the
week with a treasure hunt “Walk the
Talk”. Posters with fun facts about
speech pathology were displayed
in various locations across campus,
where students hunted for clues. An
“Embarrassing Voices” clinic (parody
of the TV show
Embarrassing Bodies
)
was run, inviting students to discuss
any concerns they may have about their
voices. Thickened fluids were available
to try for those brave and curious
enough. A special mention goes to
Emma McLaughlin, for raising $1,500
for Operation Smile by drinking only
thickened fluids for 24 hours.
In the heart of the city,
Australian
Catholic University
were selling
baked goods, during their not-so-
silent bake sale. The students hoped
to emphasise the challenges people
with communication difficulties face,
by encouraging people who visited
the stall to use alternative means of
communication. As speech pathologists
we love to talk, so they could not help
but speak to people passing by. In just
three hours, the sale raised a total of
$421, which was donated to Amaze
(Autism Victoria).
The University of Melbourne
also
saw a sweet beginning to Speech
Pathology Week. With the assistance
of the Speech Pathology Students’
Society (SPSS), delicious baked goods
were sold and discussion about speech
pathology was generated. The movie
Still Alice
was screened one evening,
with popcorn, lollies, soft drink and a
few boxes of tissues! At the conclusion
of the week, a total of $500 was raised
for OIC: The Cambodia Project, an
origination working to bring speech
therapy to Cambodians who have
commutation or swallowing disorders.
The student representatives from La
Trobe University, Australian Catholic
University and the University of
Melbourne all agree that social media
was a valuable avenue to advocate this
year’s theme ‘Talk with Me’. Students
used Twitter, Facebook and Instagram
to ensure they were constantly
generating ‘talk’ about communication
and swallowing difficulties/disorders to
increase awareness.
Although Speech Pathology Week 2015
has now passed, this does not mean
our work is done. Please continue
to help give a voice to those with
communication difficulties/disabilities
and educate others about the great
work that speech pathologists do.
Claire Banks
and
Jaclyn Georgiou
SPA Student Representatives
– The University of Melbourne
A massive THANK YOU to everyone who
helped spread the word about SPWeek!
Australian Catholic University.
The University of Melbourne.
La Trobe University.