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enable independent reporting by victims. As Weston et al. (2018) reported, there is a need for in-depth training in the use of communication aids with frontline disability support workers, and it is likely police training would require a skilled SLP to facilitate the development of effective communication partner skills in participants. The training may assist in reducing the reliance of police on a third person to facilitate the report and increase the possibility of people with a communication disability independently reporting a crime. Although a limited number of interactions with people with expressive speech difficulties was reported in the survey, 93% of police reported they interact with people who have difficulties speaking English on at least a daily or weekly basis. This is not surprising as the police station was located in an area with a high CALD population. The fact that police noted that these communication difficulties persisted was of concern. The need for communication supports for people with communication disabilities have been well established in the literature and is an integral component of communication training for people with a disability (Australian Human Rights Commission, 2013). Other industries that have frontline interactions with people with a disability, such as transport, have invested in both training and the provision of customised communication aids and have anecdotally reported that communication strategies implemented for people with communication disability have been of benefit to others such as non- English speakers. These anecdotal reports suggest that further research into the benefits of communication access strategies with CALD populations is needed. While respondents were able to identify a number of basic strategies to overcome communication breakdowns, there continued to be a strong reliance on verbal communication. This reliance can be problematic for not only some people with communication disabilities, but also people from non-English speaking backgrounds. Strategies such as writing information down, simplifying their language and slowing speech may be sufficient for some people but insufficient for others – for example, people with low levels of literacy and/or intellectual disability (Parsons & Sherwood, 2016b). Although six police documents had been translated into Easy English, the majority of police respondents (90%) had no knowledge of these resources. As Parsons and Sherwood (2016a) have indicated, Easy English documents can assist people with intellectual disability to understand custody processes, and so current resources need to be made prominent and accessible at police stations. The lack of familiarity by police of common communication tools was not unexpected. However, there was recognition by the majority of respondents that all of the tools presented could be of use. Although police readily recognised the need for interpreters, the role of communication intermediaries was rarely mentioned. As intermediaries are usually called in after an initial police interaction, it is vital that frontline police themselves are skilled in communication with the wide range of public they meet. The trial of communication intermediaries involving SLPs in Victoria is a promising innovation; however, as there are limitations on the specific role of these intermediaries, the need for training and resources for the police will remain. There are a few limitations inherent in this research. The selection of the station was based on its good reputation and the staff’s openness to improve practices. This may not be representative of other stations. Our study had a higher

proportion of respondents who were senior sergeants and sergeants (N = 11, 38%) than the state-wide distribution of these two roles (N = 3185, 24%) reported in the Victoria Police Annual Report 2016–2017. Thus the study data may represent a more mature and experienced workforce. Police were asked to estimate the frequency of their interactions with people with communication disabilities and difficulties and, as with any reported measure, verification is problematic. Furthermore, there may be overlap in some of the categories of interaction such as: difficulty hearing with difficulty understanding; difficulty speaking English, with difficulty understanding. Clear, specific definitions would assist in ensuring respondents can unambiguously address each category. Finally, to ensure the limited results from this station are representative of frontline police as a whole, the survey would need to be distributed across other police stations. The results of the survey are in alignment with the existing research that suggests the need for a holistic approach, inclusive of custom, interdisciplinary-driven training and tailored resources for frontline police interacting with the diverse range of people with communication disabilities and difficulties. As SLPs are experts in communication, there is a role for them in designing the training and resources and co-presenting with a person with lived experience of communication disability. It is essential that research is undertaken to analyse the successful components of the training, including the modes and the sustainability of the training in order to build evidence of the economic and social benefits of capacity building. Further research to complement this study would involve investigation of the barriers and supports required, as perceived by people with communication disabilities, as well as people from non-English speaking backgrounds. In addition, there is a need for evidence that suggests addressing the barriers to accessing police services results in an increase in people with communication disabilities using the service to report crime. References Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2017). Australians living with communication disability 2015 . Retrieved from: http:// www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Lookup/4430.0main+f eatures872015 Australian Human Rights Commission. (2013). Access to justice in the criminal justice system for people with disability, Issues paper Retrieved from http://www. humanrights.gov.au/publications/access-justice-criminal- justice-system-people-disability-issues-paper-april-2013 Australian Human Rights Commission. (2014). Equal before the law: Towards disability justice strategies . Retrieved from https://www.humanrights.gov.au/sites/ default/files/document/publication/2014_Equal_Before_the_ Law.pdf Bigby, C., Johnson, H., O’Halloran, R., West, D., Douglas, J., Bould, E., & O’Hare, M. (2014). Understanding communication access on V/Line trains: Perspectives of staff and customers . Retrieved from Melbourne https:// www.vline.com.au/getattachment/6a6de17b-22af-4e7d- 835e-bf9b151a7dad/Understanding-Communication- Access-on-V-Line-train Bornman, J. (2017). Preventing abuse and providing access to justice for individuals with complex communication needs: The role of augmentative and alternative communication. Seminars in Speech and Language, 38 , 321–332.

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JCPSLP Volume 21, Number 1 2019

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