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BRANCH news tasmania

Busy building a Nation for Communication! “When I walk into Landfall butcher after work on a Friday, I don’t think about how I am going to ask for the steak that I want to buy for dinner. Nor do I worry about my ability to read the price per kilo, or about working out which of the coloured notes in my purse I need to pay for my steaks. I think it’s fair to say that for most of us, we focus only on finding out what the specials are and perhaps whether we want the eye fillet or the scotch fillet. But for over 1 million Australians, something as simple as buying meat at your local butcher can feel like being in a foreign country where you don’t speak the language.” – Nicola Dunn, speaking at the Tasmanian Branch film launch

It has been a busy time of year for Tasmanian Speech Pathology Australia members. We recently held two events to continue to raise the profile of the importance of communication. In September, we launched our own short film, Build a Nation for Communication . A link to the film can be viewed at http://ilctas.asn. au/news/2014/09/11/new- communication-video/ . Take a look and share it! Thanks to all the Launceston-based members who worked hard to make this event happen, especially Gail Bennell with her superb video-editing skills. Thanks also to Independent Living Centre Manager Karen

Frost for hosting us and to St Giles CEO Ian Wright whose poignant speech set the scene for the launch of the film. The film would not have been possible without the speech pathologists and clients who submitted footage for the video. Honourable Justice Alan Blow, and Mrs Blow hosted a reception at Government House to mark the culmination of the year’s awareness raising activities of Speech Pathology Australia’s Tasmanian Branch. Thanks to the Hobart-based members who organised this event! Kate Day Speech Language Pathologist & Tasmanian Speak Out Editor In October, The Lieutenant Governor of Tasmania, the

Speech Pathologists Nicola Dunn,

Greer Maine and Rachael Zeeman with St Giles CEO Ian Wright, and Stefanie Keil, one of the “stars” of the Build a Nation for Communication film.

From left: Gail Mulcair (Speech Pathology Australia CEO), Leigh McGovern, Jill Curtis and Jacquie Petrusma (Minister for Human Services) attended the Tasmanian Branch reception held at Government House in Hobart.

branch news – Victoria

The Aphasia Community team is excited to launch the new website and online forum: www.aphasia.community . This website and forum are a dedicated, volunteer-run initiative. Aphasia Community is designed to support individuals to build strong and sustainable aphasia groups at any stage of life with aphasia. Along with the forum, it includes details of our aphasia group research, resources, and an up-to-date database of aphasia groups running across Australia. We hope you will visit the website at www.aphasia.community and join us in the Aphasia Community forum. Please spread the word about Aphasia Community and feel free to email us via info@aphasia.community if you have any queries. We hope to see you on the forum soon! aphasia community team Dr Miranda Rose, Lucie Lanyon, Michelle Attard Aphasia website/forum launch

Stroke-a-Chord Choir concert

The Stroke-a-Chord Choir was formed in 2010 from a group of enthusiastic stroke

survivors with little to no speech (aphasia) in order to continue learning to communicate and socialise through song.

Chief Executive Officer Gail Mulcair recently attended the fourth annual Stroke-a-Chord concert in October (pictured above) in support of this wonderful initiative which tells the story of stroke survivors who sing but cannot speak. If you would like to learn more about the Stroke-a-Chord Choir, visit www.facebook.com/strokeachord .

Speak Out December 2014

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www.speechpathologyaustralia.org.au