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BRANCH news queensland

Communication is key: Brisbane celebrates the ICP!

On 18 August , Brisbane’s City Hall played host to a key event in Queensland’s International Communication Project (ICP2014) celebrations. Proudly sponsored by Brisbane City Council and Speech Pathology Australia, the event provided a unique opportunity for key stakeholders and policymakers to learn more about the impact of communication disability, firsthand. Guests heard from Dr Michelle Owens, a GP who sustained a brain injury as the result of a car accident. Dr Owens bravely shared her journey of communication difficulty and rehabilitation, with humour and hope. Guests also viewed a short video clip about the experiences of parents of children with communication difficulty. Interactive booths enabled guests to gather further information about the types of communication disability speech pathologists work with, such as Alternative and Augmentative Communication – complete with eye tracking demonstrations! celebrations, including Senator Glen Lazarus and wife Tess, Mrs Eleanor Ketter (wife of Senator Chris Ketter) and the Lord Mayor of Brisbane, Mr Graham Quirk. Lord Mayor Quirk told the crowd about Council’s ‘Access and Inclusion Plan 2012−2017’ which aims to achieve universal access and inclusion for all residents of Brisbane, while Senator Lazarus drew parallels between his beloved Brisbane Broncos and communication difficulty. We were delighted to celebrate the achievements of distinguished members of the profession, Professor Liz Ward (Fellowship Award), Professor Linda Worrall (Elinor Wray Award) and Dr Petrea Cornwell (Service Award). All in all it was a wonderful night; thank you to all attendees for supporting the ICP2014 and helping to spread the message and advocate A number of government representatives joined in the

Above, from left: QLD Branch President Alison Smith, National President Deborah Theodoros, Senator Glen Lazarus and wife, Tess.

Left, Bree Ffrench, Breanne Hetherington and Dennis Lo at the AAC booth; below, Lord Mayor Graham Quirk learns about eye tracking from student, Bobbie Ellis.

for the 1.1 million people living with communication disability in Australia. Special thanks goes to event planner extraordinaires: Bree Ffrench, Pip Gibbins, Leanne Girola, Breanne Hetherington, and Susan Park.

Simone Howells Communications and Public Awareness Portfolio Co-Lead

As an addendum, the Queensland Branch would like to acknowledge the hard work and dedication of the event coordinator, Simone Howells, whose tireless efforts contributed to the overwhelming success of the evening.

22 Speak Out October 2014

Speech Pathology Australia