Communication rights: Fundamental human rights for all

Abstract

The right to communicate includes the right to "freedom of opinion and expression" and rights and freedoms "without distinction of … language". The 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is a time to celebrate and reflect on communication as a human right, particularly with respect to Article 19 and its relationship to national and international conventions, declarations, policies and practices. This review profiles articles from the special issue of International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology (volume 20, issue 1) addressing communication rights from four perspectives: (1) communication rights of all people; (2) communication rights of people with communication disabilities; (3) communication rights of children and (4) communication rights relating to language. Divergent perspectives from across the globe are considered. First-hand accounts of people whose right to communicate is compromised/upheld are included and perspectives are provided from people with expertise and advocacy roles in speech-language pathology, audiology, linguistics, education, media, literature and law, including members of the International Communication Project. Three steps are outlined to support communication rights: acknowledge people - adjust the communication style - take time to listen. Future advocacy for communication rights could be informed by replicating processes used to generate the Yogyakarta Principles.

Mitigating Visual Ageism in Digital Media: Designing for Dynamic Diversity to Enhance Communication Rights for Senior Citizens

“…For instance, the United Nations have established the Open-ended Working Group on Ageing (OEWG) in 2010, with the purpose to strengthen the protection of older people's rights. While the basic human rights of older individuals are emphasized, there are areas that remain unaddressed or rather ignored [13,14], such as the visual communication rights of senior citizens: the right of having a voice about the manner in which they are visually represented and the power of older people to influence specifically the images representing them is crucial [4,5]. Therefore, this paper aims to present a set of policy recommendations using "designing for dynamic diversity"as the leading principle.…”

Evidence based pathways to intervention for children with language disorders

“…By summarizing the evidence we aim (1) to help clinicians present an overview of the evidence to clients, so they are 'fully informed '; and (2) to stimulate discussion about the direction of the profession in relation to children's SLT services, highlighting where further research is needed. An important premise is the general agreement that communication is a human right and that SLTs have a key role to play in maximizing functional communication in children with speech, language and communication needs (McLeod 2018).…”

Efficacy of a Low-cost Multidisciplinary Team-led Experiential Workshop for Public Health Midwives on Dysphagia Management for Children with Cerebral Palsy

“…Therefore, the poor recall by the PHMs may be reflective of the lack of importance placed on communication with children with cerebral palsy or disabilities. This highlights the need to raise awareness on 'communication rights ' (McLeod, 2018) and on diverse communication modes as part of an MDT care initiative.…”