Communication Matters Welcomes Final Report
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PRESS RELEASE
At the end of the National Year of Communication, outgoing Communication Champion Jean Gross calls for the NHS Commissioning Board to provide communication aids and services for children and young people who are unable to communicate verbally as a consequence of disability.
Communication Matters, the lead organisation dedicated to creating a world where everyone has a right to a 'voice' through the provision of communication equipment and services, welcomes the report by the Communication Champion and her key recommendations on AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication).
The Communication Champion has called for the Government to implement in full the recommendations in her report on AAC, asking the NHS National Commissioning Board "to procure regional or supra-regional 'hub' centres to assess the needs of children and young people who can benefit from AAC and to provide them with appropriate communication aids and services, in partnership with locally commissioned AAC 'spoke' services." Jean Gross also recommends that local governments develop effective local AAC services involving SLTs, occupational therapists, teachers and technicians to support the work of the specialist hubs.
Anna Reeves, National AAC Coordinator, said:
"With the right AAC equipment and support, the lives of children and young people with significant communication needs will be greatly enhanced, enabling them to achieve academically and to improve their quality of life. We take the ability to communicate for granted, but for those unable to speak, their lives are severely disadvantaged without it. The technology exists to give children and young people a voice but it is too often not made available to those who need it and this is set to get worse as the cuts take hold. I hope the Communication Champion's recommendations are accepted in full by the Government."
Dr Janice Murray, Chair of Communication Matters, said:
"Our membership ranges from professionals who work in the field of AAC, suppliers and developers of the specialist equipment through to people who use AAC and their families. On their behalf I welcome the Communication Champion's report and carry the hope that this will signal the end of the post code lottery of provision of communication aids and services, an all too common story.
Commissioners need to recognise that they must provide, support and maintain opportunities for professional training to ensure the needs of this silent minority are met."
Download the Report
This press release has been published in:
- Independent Living - Communication Aids Essential for Children who can't Communicate Verbally
- TAC Interconnections - Communication matters. It's Official!
(Posted on 17 Jan 2012)