ACQ Vol 12 No 3 2010

Accessible healthcare

Our top 10 resources for creating communicatively accessible healthcare settings Kathryn McKinley, Shauna Poole, and Melanie White Speech Pathology Department, Austin Health Austin Health is a large tertiary health network in Melbourne’s north-eastern region. There are three campuses – Austin Hospital (acute), Heidelberg Repatriation Hospital (subacute), and Royal Talbot Rehabilitation Centre. There are two speech pathology departments with 27 speech pathologists (full-time and part-time) and two allied health assistants. All three clinicians have a keen interest in making the hospital environment communicatively accessible.

1. Inpatient functional

The Communication Access Toolkit is a new resource designed by Connect in the UK. We use the toolkit training, including the Powerpoint presentations, videos and resource material regularly when providing training and in-servicing to colleagues and students. The resource is up to date and has the potential to be used in health, community, and disability settings. The toolkit is sold as part of a 2-day training course, run by trainers at Connect, titled ‘Making Communication Access a reality’. 3. Picture-based resources The Boardmaker Australia Version 6 for Windows is available from www.spectronicsinoz.com for $599, including GST and postage. Picture This is available from www.spectronicsoz.com for $132, including GST and postage. The Aphasia Institute (2004), Pictographic Communication Resources Binder is available from the Aphasia Institute for US$295 (approx. A$330). For ordering details, see www. aphasia.ca or email aphasia@aphasia.ca. Additionally, free images that can be downloaded and used can be found at: www.sclera.be We use lots of different picture-based resources when making communication aids and developing accessible written information for our patients. We use programs such as Boardmaker and Picture This, picture-based resources from the Aphasia Institute and there are a few websites where you can download and use pictures for free. We also have a digital camera and a scanner which are used regularly. 4. ICU Communicator Available from Austin Health Speech Pathology Department, phone: (03) 9496 5549, for $120.00 plus postage. The ICU Communicator is a double-sided perspex communication board designed to meet the needs of most ICU patients. It includes Board maker pictures for basic needs/orientation, alphabet for pointing, blank space for whiteboard writing, and a pain scale and body diagram. It is durable, able to be cleaned to hospital standards and self-explanatory.

communication interview By O’Halloran, R., Worrall, L., Toffolo, D., Code, C., & Hickson, L. (2004). IFCI:

Inpatient functional communication interview . UK: Speechmark Publishing Ltd. Available from www.thebrainary.com/shop for $164.95. The inpatient functional communication interview

assesses how a patient is coping with the communication demands of being in hospital. Particular strategies that facilitate communication for a patient can be identified and passed on to other staff members working with the patient. It is useful for patients with and without specific communication impairment. 2. The communication access toolkit By Parr, S., Wimborne, N., Hewitt, A., & Pound, C. (2008). The communication access toolkit . London: Connect – the communication disability network. Available from www.ukconnect.org for £500 (approx. A$900), includes toolkit and 2-day training course.

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ACQ Volume 12, Number 3 2010

ACQ uiring knowledge in speech, language and hearing