Speak Out August 2019 Digital Edition

Association news

Professor Sharynne McLeod, Charles Sturt University, Australia Editor of Special Issue of the International Journal of Speech- Language Pathology Communication is a Human Right: Celebrating the 70 th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights Ms Meredith Allan, President, International Society for Augmentative and Alternative Communication (ISAAC), Australia Mr Miles Forma, Augmentative Communication User & Educator, Public Speaker & Disability Advocate, USA Ms Julia McGeown, Lead Inclusive Education and Technical Advisor, Humanity and Inclusion, UK Panel discussion participants included the above as well as, Ms Arlene Pietranton, PhD, CAE, Chief Executive Officer, American Speech Language Hearing Association.

information on the global impact of communication disability and the importance of the rights of people with communication disability to be upheld, as well as urging countries to ensure that there are appropriate services available to support equal access to justice, health and education.

The side event, People with Communication Disabilities Speak Up for Inclusion and Participation: How the Implementation of the CRPD and SDGs can Support this Right was held on the 12 June and was well attended in person by a range of delegates as well as being live-streamed through the UN TV facility. Key messages of the session included: • Communication is a fundamental human right. • Communication enables the right to social participation, inclusion in education and employment, equal justice, civic participation, and the ability to have quality of life. • Communication disability is under-recognised and under- reported; however, communication disability affects millions of people across the world. • There is a lack of visibility and recognition within international conventions and public policy; however, the platforms of the UDHR and the CRPD provide a blueprint for ensuring people with communication disability can realise their human rights. • Individuals with communication disability are vulnerable to human rights abuses. Children and adults with communication disability are at risk of poorer academic, vocational, social and health outcomes than those without communication disability. • It is essential to address communication disability in order to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. Given the Association's lead role, our side event was co-sponsored by the Australian Government, which was valuable in receiving this official support. The session took the format of the following: Moderator/Chair Mr Derek Munn, Director Policy and Public Affairs, Royal College of Speech Language Therapists and International Communication Project representative Panelists Ms Gail Mulcair, Chief Executive Officer, Speech Pathology Australia and International Communication Project representative Speech Pathology Australia Chief Executive Officer Gail Mulcair delivered the Associations' statement at the UN General Assembly and the Association's Vice President Belinda Hill spoke at the Civil Society Forum.

During the panel discussion at the side event at the UN in June.

Some key "asks" and recommendations from the session: • International bodies, including states parties and the World Health Organization, together with the disability community, are urged to work towards removing the barriers and disadvantage experienced by those with communication disability. • Future COSP-CRPD conferences and events to be communication accessible and include people with communication disability to highlight the barriers to full participation, and to support a truly realised Disability Inclusion Strategy (DIS) within the United Nations and across the world. For Speech Pathology Australia and our International Communication Project colleagues, this is considered just the beginning of what is intended as further forays into important international arenas. An important direction is that as professional peak bodies for the speech pathology profession, our role is to enable and empower people with communication disability to have a "voice" on their rights and needs. Our commitment for further activities is to ensure even greater participation of people with communication disability as the messages of those with communication disability is the most powerful of all. My particular thanks are extended to Professor Sharynne McLeod, SPA; Derek Munn and Naj Hussain, RCSLT; Joe Cequone, ASHA; and Michael Kerrisk and Ian Yorski, SPA; who all provided valuable contribution to the success of the Side Event. Further thanks and appreciation is extended to Mika Kontiainen of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in providing Australian Government support.

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August 2019 www.speechpathologyaustralia.org.au

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