Communication Access to Businesses and Organizations for People with Complex Communication Needs

Abstract

Human rights legislation and anti-discrimination and accessibility laws exist in many countries and through international conventions and treaties. To varying degrees, these laws protect the rights of people with disabilities to full and equal access to goods and services. Yet, the accessibility requirements of people with complex communication needs (CCN) are not well represented in the existing accessibility literature. This article describes the results of surveys completed by disability service providers and individuals with CCN due to cerebral palsy, developmental delay, and acquired disabilities. It identifies accessibility requirements for people with CCN for face-to-face communication; comprehension of spoken language; telephone communication; text and print-based communication; Internet, email, and social media interactions; and written communication. Recommendations are made for communication accessibility accommodations in regulations, guidelines, and practices.

Communication access on trains: a qualitative exploration of the perspectives of passengers with communication disabilities

“…Communication is a two-way process [9,10], and people with communication disabilities are a diverse group, that includes people with developmental and acquired disabilities who have a range of physical, sensory, speech, language or cognitive impairments. However, applied researchers and practitioners are increasingly referring to people with "complex communication needs" [11], or "communication disabilities" [12,13] to refer to this meta group and draw attention to the less visible participation barriers they experience. Barriers include, negative attitudes of communication partners, lack of contextual cues, time pressures when using services and the lack of available communication aids to get their message across [11,12,14].…”

“…However, applied researchers and practitioners are increasingly referring to people with "complex communication needs" [11], or "communication disabilities" [12,13] to refer to this meta group and draw attention to the less visible participation barriers they experience. Barriers include, negative attitudes of communication partners, lack of contextual cues, time pressures when using services and the lack of available communication aids to get their message across [11,12,14]. Communication access [11,[15][16][17], is a parallel concept to physical access, defined as occurring "when people are respectful and responsive to individuals with communication disabilities, and when strategies and resources are used to support successful communication" [16, p.56].…”

“…Barriers include, negative attitudes of communication partners, lack of contextual cues, time pressures when using services and the lack of available communication aids to get their message across [11,12,14]. Communication access [11,[15][16][17], is a parallel concept to physical access, defined as occurring "when people are respectful and responsive to individuals with communication disabilities, and when strategies and resources are used to support successful communication" [16, p.56].…”

Communicative Competence for Individuals who require Augmentative and Alternative Communication: A New Definition for a New Era of Communication?

“…Twenty-fi ve years ago, many individuals with complex communication needs had only opportunities to interact with staff in the institutions and residences in which they lived; they were pre-empted from many communication opportunities and had only limited choices. Now, individuals with complex communication needs require AAC systems to support their communication and full participation at home, at school, at work, in health care settings, and within the community (Collier, Blackstone, & Taylor, 2012;Collier & Self, 2010). It is no longer suffi cient for individuals with complex communication needs to have access to the means to simply request a preferred food or activity; rather they need access to communication to build friendships with peers, to learn at school, to share their expertise on the job, to manage their health care needs, and to participate successfully as full citizens of society (Bryen, Chung, & Lever, 2010;Kennedy, 2010).…”

Social Validation of Vocabulary Selection: Ensuring Stakeholder Relevance

“…With the ratification of the United Nation Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (United Nations Enable, 2012) and its articles focusing on freedom from exploitation, violence, and abuse (Article 16), freedom of expression and opinion, and access to information (Article 21), and access to justice (Article 13), there is now increasing attention to the rights of all individuals, including those with CCN (Collier, Blackstone & Taylor, 2012) . It is hoped that this increased awareness will help people who use AAC gain access to needed vocabulary, so they will no longer be silent and invisible victims of crime or abuse, both in South Africa and throughout the world.…”