Established by Barbara Collier and Hazel Self in 2000, Communication Disabilities Access Canada (CDAC) is a Canadian, disability, non-profit organization. In partnership with people who have speech, language and communication disabilities, CDAC promotes communication accessibility to goods and services.  As of January 1, 2022, CDAC is an online resource only. Our online resources and trainings are available at no charge to users, in order to advance accessibility to goods and services for people who have communication disabilities. Please direct inquiries to admin@cdacanada.com

The following principles have guided our work in promoting communication access in policy, practices and research over the years.

Communication access refers to policies and practices within service entities to ensure that individuals understand what is said or written and can communicate what they want to convey. This may include face-to-face and telephone interactions, internet access, online learning, meetings, conferences, public consultations, reading (print, websites and digital), social media and writing (forms, signatures, surveys and note taking). (Collier et al. 2012). The purpose of communication access policies, practices and trainings is to inform businesses, services and organizations about what they can or must do to ensure that people who have communication disabilities can understand and effectively communicate when using their services.

Principle 1: Communication access must be inclusive of all people who have disabilities that affect their communication, the different ways they communicate and the different supports they need.

• Communication disability groups include, but are not limited to Deaf people; people who are hard of hearing; people on the autism spectrum or who have cerebral palsy; acquired brain injury; cognitive disability; voice and speech disorders and aphasia. While some policies and practices relate to all people with communication disabilities, others are specific to the disability; how the person communicates, with whom they are communicating and the situations in which they are communicating. Creating policies and practices for one disability group to the exclusion of others may be counterproductive and create additional barriers for others.
• Communication is multi-modal. Communication methods include speech, gestures, body language, writing, drawing, pictures, symbol and letter boards, speech-generating devices, as well as human services such as ASL/LSQ/ISL interpreting, captioning in real time, informal and formal communication partners, assistants and intermediaries.
• People may need different types of human supports dependent on the situation. In addition to sign language interpreters that some people may need, communication supporters may include:
• a communication partner who communicates with them on a daily or frequent basis, (Binger et al., 2010; Hansen et al., 2022; Holm et al., 2020).
• a communication partner who assists communication with unfamiliar people (Collier, et al. 2010)
• a supported decision maker who assists with decision making in different contexts
• a proxy communicator or advocate who is designated by the person to communicate on their behalf
• a communication intermediary who assists with communication with police, lawyers and in justice situations

 Principle 2: Communication access policies, practices and trainings must be developed in collaboration with people who have communication disabilities. This includes participation of people with communication disabilities on accessibility committees. In addition, it involves soliciting input from the people with diverse communication needs via existing networks such as AAC clinics, speech language services, and disability organizations.

• Accessibility policies and practices must include contexts that are significant for people with communication disabilities. In addition to healthcare, education, employment and general community-based services, people with communication disabilities report that they need improved communication with government workers, rehabilitation clinicians, wheelchair vendors; attendant services, transportation services, police and paramedics and local stores, restaurants, sports and leisure facilities (Collier et al., 2012).
• Communication accessibility trainings must be developed for particular contexts. Essential services and high stakes contexts, such as healthcare, Legal capacity supports,  Police, justice services, require specific policies, practices and formal training. Businesses such as restaurants, stores, transport require general information and opportunities to learn how to interact with people who have communication disabilities. People with communication disabilities must play a central role in educating non-essential and essential businesses, services and organizations.
• Communication allies, such as clinicians, social workers, disability and human rights services play an important role in supporting people with communication disabilities to know their accessibility rights, to learn how to inform service providers about their communication access needs and what to do if their rights are denied or ignored.
• People who have communication disabilities must be meaningfully engaged in research about the gaps in current legislation, policies and practice; the contexts that are significant for people with communication disabilities; the communication barriers within each context and the tools and supports required within each context; and the development and evaluation of toolkits and training programs (Blasko et al., 2025; Collier et al., 2012; Light et al., 2025; Romski et al., 2025).

References

Binger, C., Kent-Walsh, J., Ewing, C., & Taylor, S. (2010). Teaching educational assistants to facilitate the multisymbol message productions of young students who require augmentative and alternative communication. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 19(2), 108–120. https://doi.org/10.1044/1058-0360(2009/09-0015)

Blasko, G., Light, J., McNaughton, D., Williams, B., & Zimmerman, J. (2025). Nothing about AAC users without AAC users: a call for meaningful inclusion in research, technology development, and professional training. Augmentative and Alternative Communication, 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1080/07434618.2025.2514748

Collier, B., Blackstone, S. W., & Taylor, A. (2012). Communication access to businesses and organizations for people with complex communication needs. Augmentative and Alternative Communication, 28(4), 205-218. https://doi.org/10.3109/07434618.2012.732611

Collier, B., McGhie-Richmond, D & Self H. (2010).Exploring Communication Assistants as an option to increasing communication access to communities for people who use AAC. Augmentative and Alternative Communication, 26 (1), 48-59. https://doi.org/10.3109/07434610903561498

Hansen, D., Kristensen, l. F., Christensen, M. E., Eriksson, K., & Thunberg, G. (2022). ‘They get the opportunity to say what is important for them’: exploring staff’s early perceptions of the implementation of a new communicative approach to patients with aphasia. Disability and Rehabilitation, 44(13), 3071–3080. https://doi.org/10.1080/09638288.2020.1853829

Holm, A., Viftrup, A., Karlsson, V., Nikolajsen, l., & Dreyer, P. (2020). Nurses’ communication with mechanically ventilated patients in the intensive care unit: Umbrella review. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 76(11), 2909 2920. https://doi.org/10.1111/jan.14524

Light, J., Fager, S. K., Gormley, J., Hyatt, G. W., & Jakobs, E. (2025). Dismantling societal barriers that limit people who need or use AAC: lived experiences, key research findings, and future directions. Augmentative and Alternative Communication, 1-15. https://doi.org/10.1080/07434618.2025.2508490

Romski, M., & Sevcik, R. A. (2025). Editorial: Sharing perspectives on change in AAC research. Augmentative and Alternative Communication, 1–2. https://doi.org/10.1080/07434618.2025.2514750