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 Spring 2015 Communication Access Now Saskatchewan Update for Speech and Hearing Month Barbara Collier, Executive Director, CDAC Communication Access Now (CAN) is a national, three-­‐year project to increase awareness of the accessibility rights of people who have speech and language disabilities (SLDs), not caused by hearing loss. Now entering its final year, the project is operated by Communication Disabilities Access Canada (CDAC) and is funded by the Office for Disability Issues, Social Development Partnerships Program. We are rolling out the CAN project across the country where accessibility and human rights legislation is being implemented in different ways by each province. Here, we provide you with an update on our activities in Saskatchewan. Christine Beliveau acted as our CAN coordinator in Saskatchewan in 2014. Randa Tomczak, will be taking over from Christine in April 2015. Approximately, 14,482 people in Saskatchewan have SLDs that significantly impact on their ability to access goods and services. People with SLDs have the same rights to access goods and services as everyone else. Their rights are protected by provincial Human Rights Codes; the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Person’s with Disabilities. Some provinces have specific accessibility legislation. Over the past year, CAN has been in contact with the Honorable Donna Harpauer, Minister of Social Services, and Bob Whilidal, Assistant Deputy Minister of Disability Programs. We also connected with the Office for Disability Issues. We explained that people with SLDs can experience significant barriers when accessing businesses and services and we highlighted the need for policy makers to include the accessibility needs of this population. Our correspondence calls for provincial accessibility laws that include: • People with SLDs and / or service providers who support this population as advisors to government appointed accessibility committees. • A definition of communication access that includes comprehension and expression of spoken and written language, and is not limited to accessible websites and alternate formats. • Standards of practice for organizations to identify potential communication barriers for people with SLDs in face-­‐to-­‐face interactions; public events; telephone communications; reading; writing; internet and social media. •
Guidelines to reduce communication barriers in businesses and organizations. •
Specific standards and practices for services where communication is critical, such as healthcare, emergency, police, legal and justice services. This includes communication access policies and procedures, staff training in communication, access to communication assistants to help with communication, appropriate picture or alphabet boards, and other communication tools. To date, CAN has provided information on communication access to a number of organizations in Saskatchewan. As with other provinces we are beginning to see results. For example, many of you are using the CAN resources to support your clients in learning about their accessibility rights and how to communicate their requirements when using services; staff working in businesses around the country are taking the CAN e-­‐learning modules on how to make their services accessible for people with SLDs; we are seeing organizations displaying the CAN symbol on doors, windows and reception desks and we are working with many public sector groups on specific ways to reduce barriers for customers who have SLDs. As we enter our final year of the Communication Access Now Project, we welcome your ideas and participation. For Speech and Hearing month, you may want to use our online resources to: • Write a letter to your MP; MPP or local accessibility advisory committee. There is a sample letter on our website under “Get Involved” • Link to our website, blog and “like” our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter. • Connect with Randa Tomczak to get CAN brochures and booklets. • Show the CAN video. It’s under “Communication Access” • Display the CAN symbol in your work place and attach it to your signature line. You can find it under “Resources” • Share our e-­‐learning modules about ways to make services accessible • Distribute the CAN flyer (attached). • Update us on your activities using our Facebook page. www.communication-­‐access.org www.cdacanada.com Email: [email protected] Contact Randa Tomczak at [email protected]