News

In May and June we shared the Communication Access Now message on CBC Radio’s Early Edition and gave a keynote at Inclusion BC. In addition we connected with or gave presentations at the Elder Law course, Osgoode Law School, Toronto; Vancouver’s Abilities Expo; Disability Resource Network of BC for Post-Secondary Education Conference; Saskatoon City Hospital for Rehabilitation Grand Rounds; Alberta Speech Language Pathologists and Audiologists; City of Winnipeg’s Access Advisory Committee; Manitoba’s Access Awareness Week; Accessibility Conference at the University of Guelph; Speech and Hearing Association of Nova Scotia and Community Access & Inclusion Expo in PEI.

Communication Disabilities Access Canada (CDAC) needs your help to reduce the barriers to telephone communication for people with speech and language disabilities (SLDs). It will only take you a few minutes and may have a major impact on increasing awareness of the needs of this population.

The Canadian Radio Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) is conducting a public consultation on the use of Message Relay Services (MRS) for people who are Deaf, hard of hearing or who have a speech disability. This is an operator-assisted service for people who can type their messages. It is primarily used by people who are Deaf or hard of hearing.

Telephone access is important for everyone. However, for many people who have severe physical and communication disabilities, it is essential; being the primary way they contact their personal support service providers. These services allow people, who would otherwise live in hospitals and institutions, to live with dignity in communities and to access their support services for safety, as well as personal services such as dressing, hygiene and meal preparation. Yet, many people with physical, speech and language disabilities cannot use the existing telephones, such as RC200 and Fortissimo due to unclear speech, quiet or no speech and / or physical access issues, as well as issues relating to cost and reliability. Because of lack of access they remain in hospitals and institutions, and are denied opportunities to live in their communities. For some people who rely on ventilators to breathe at night, this lack of access can be life threatening.

Other people who can access phones, experience significant barriers that could potentially be addressed through improved message, video or speech-to-speech relay services.

At this time, we are asking the CRTC to bring a national focus to the needs of people with SLDs in terms of the provision of reliable, affordable, accessible telephones and appropriate services such as message relay services, video relay services and speech-to-speech services.  Please see CDAC Executive Director Barbara Collier’s letter (as a PDF) for details about why this is important as well as our past dealings with TELUS and the CRTC.

How you can help?

To draw attention to these issues, we need as many people as possible to post their comments on the CRTC site before the deadline: June 29, 2015.

To post your message on the CRTC site, you will be prompted to set up a log in and password.  Under “Active Conversations” choose Message Relay Services.  You can choose to add your comment in a reply to one question or to all 4 question areas. The more exposure the better!

If you like you can hit reply to the comments submitted by CDAC or add your own. You can also copy and paste from suggested texts below.

Suggested text #1

People who have speech and language disabilities have the right to access telecommunication services.  At this time they experience major barriers that impact on their ability to maintain social contacts; call for help in an emergency and, in many cases, it impacts on their ability to live independently in the community. We want the CRTC to address this by establishing a national focus on the needs of this population in terms of the provision of reliable, affordable, accessible telephones and the extension and development of telecommunication services such as message relay services; video relay services and speech-to-speech services. I am asking the CRTC to fund the initiative put forward by Communication Disabilities Access Canada (CDAC) to TELUS, January 2015 to address the telecommunications needs of this population.

Suggested text #2

People who have communication disabilities, not caused by hearing loss can experience significant communication barriers when using telecommunications. Some of these barriers include:

• People not understanding their natural speech or the speech they generate from their communication device.
• People hanging-up on them because they think their unclear speech is due to being drunk or that their device is an automated sales call.
• Not being able to physically access a telephone from a wheelchair or bed, which may impact on one’s ability to safely live in the community or use personal support services.
• People not accepting assistance from a communication interpreter that they authorize to assist them communicating on the telephone and/or people assuming their assistant has power of attorney to make decision for them in critical communication situations.
• Not being able to use automated prompts (numbers to navigate the phone system) due to physical disabilities.
• Not being able to participate and effectively communicate in teleconferences.
• Not knowing about message relay services that are typically marketed to people who are Deaf or have a hearing loss.
• Not being able to effectively use message relay services because operators are not trained in facilitating people who have unclear speech or who use AAC.
• Increased cost of telephone services due to slow rate of communication.
• Businesses and organizations not accepting ways other than the telephone to access services (e.g. text, email, or assistance).

I am asking the CRTC to fund the initiative put forward by Communication Disabilities Access Canada (CDAC) to TELUS, January 2015 to address the telecommunications needs of this population.

Thank you for your participation on this important initiative.

Gearing up for Speech and Hearing Month in May, we would like to share a brief overview of what has been happening around the country with Communication Access Now over the last few months. We ask that you take this opportunity to promote communication access awareness in your area and we suggest some activities at the end of this post. We invite you to share what you are doing for Speech and Hearing Month on our Facebook page.

British Columbia

Communication Access Now (CAN) has connected with both the new Minister of Social Development and Social Innovation (MSDSI) and the Parliamentary Secretary for Accessibility to highlight the need to include the accessibility needs of people with speech and language disabilities (SLDs) in BC’s emerging plans for Accessibility 2024. We have provided many information sessions to provincial and municipal government policy makers and accessibility committees. MSDSI is now using the CAN e-learning modules as part of their staff training for Employment and Assistance Workers. The cities of Vancouver, Surrey, Richmond and New Westminster and many disability organizations have taken our e-learning modules and displaying the communication access symbol. People with communication disabilities are showing their individualized CAN communication cards to tell businesses and organizations what they can do to make their services accessible to them.

Contact Lois Turner, CAN Regional Coordinator at lois.turner@gmail.com

Alberta

CAN has connected with the Honorable Jim Prentice, Premier of Alberta and Honorable Naresh Bhardway, Associate Minister of Persons with Disabilities. We provided information on communication access to the Premier’s Council on Disability, Human Rights Commission, Alberta services for people with disabilities, Alberta Health Services, Calgary’s Independent Living Centre,  Calgary Police services, Alberta Children Hospital, City of Edmonton Advisory Board for Persons’ with Disabilities, City of Calgary Accessibility Advisory and Edmonton’s voting office. Several organizations across Alberta have taken the e-learning modules and are displaying the symbol.

Contact Randa Tomczak, CAN Regional Coordinator at 4randa.tomczak@gmail.com

Saskatchewan

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. To date, CAN has provided information on communication access to a number of organizations in Saskatchewan, including Pasqua Hospital, Regina General Hospital and Wascana Rehabilitation Centre and the Saskatchewan Abilities Council.

Contact Randa Tomczak, CAN Regional Coordinator at 4randa.tomczak@gmail.com

Manitoba

CAN continues to work with the Disabilities Issues Office and members of the Accessibility Advisory committee to ensure that they include the needs of people with communication disabilities in their emerging legislation. We provided information sessions to the Departmental Access Coordinators who assist provincial government programs with accessibility and we met with Children’s disABILITY Services Program. We also provided input to Manitoba’s Policy on Access to Government Publications, Events and Services. More CAN events are planned for June 2015.

Contact Tracy Shepherd, CAN Regional Coordinator at tshepherd2@gmail.com

Ontario

We continue to share information with the provincial government’s Accessibility Directorate on ways to embed communication access requirements that are meaningful and inclusive of all people with SLDs. We provided input to Dean Mayo Moran’s independent review of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) and are pleased that she highlighted the need for specific protocols for communication access to essential services. So far, municipal governments that have adopted the CAN message include Toronto, Windsor, Kingston and London. We are in touch with organizers of the Pan Am Games and hope to see the communication access symbol there. See our Facebook page for organizations that have received CAN information.

Contact Nora Rothschild, CAN Regional Coordinator at nora@rothschilds.ca

Atlantic Canada

In Newfoundland, we met with members of Coalition of Persons with Disabilities and provided information on ways to include people with SLDs in the Provincial Strategy for the Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities. We received a support letter from the Honourable Clyde Jackman, Minister of Seniors, Wellness and Social Development.

In Nova Scotia, CAN represented the accessibility needs of persons with SLDs at a public consultation hosted by the Minister’s Advisory Panel on Accessibility Legislation.

In New Brunswick, CAN met with the Premier’s Council on the Status of Disabled Persons and we look forward to working in collaboration with them on the development of the provincial disability policies. In Prince Edward Island we have been pleased with the interest shown in the CAN project by the Honourable Valerie Docherty, Minster of Community Services and Seniors. We look forward to the opportunity to meet with members of her department as well as representatives of the Disability Action Council.

Contact Debbie Maund, CAN Regional Coordinator at debbie.maund@speechpath4u.ca

How you can become involved

We welcome your ideas and we value your participation on ways to increase accessibility for people with speech and language disabilities. For Speech and Hearing Month, we invite you to:

• Write a letter to your MP, MLA or MPP, and local accessibility advisory committee.
• Link your organization to the CAN website and blog.
• Like our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter.
• Show the CAN video in the place your work.
• Display the CAN symbol in your work place and attach it to your email signature line.
• Support your clients in learning about their communication access rights using the CAN toolkit.
• Host a presentation on communication access using CAN powerpoint slides.
• Tell people about the e-learning modules about ways to make their services accessible
• Connect with your Regional Coordinator to get brochures and booklets that you can distribute in your community:
  • British Columbia Coordinator: Lois Turner (lois.turner@gmail.com)
  • Alberta and Saskatchewan Coordinator: Randa Tomczak (4randa.tomczak@gmail.com)
  • Manitoba Coordinator: Tracy Shepherd (tshepherd2@gmail.com)
  • Ontario Coordinator: Nora Rothschild (nora@rothschilds.ca)
  • Atlantic Canada Coordinator: Debbie Maund (debbie.maund@speechpath4u.ca)

With Spring finally in the air across the entire country, we are pleased to announce new team members and new resources to further spread the message about the need for improved communication access for Canadians with speech and language disabilities.

Nationally:

The use of the information and resources on human rights and accessibility for individuals with communication disabilities available on our website is steadily increasing. In March, 2,050 visitors viewed 7,588 pages.

Our Latest Resources:

Three new videos have been added to the Emergency Medical Services (EMS), Hospital In-Patient Services and Telephone Services under Make Your Services Accessible. These videos feature Steven Wells sharing some of the barriers faced by individuals with speech and language disabilities and a few solutions. Feel free to tell people about these videos.

In Atlantic Canada:

Regional Coordinator for Atlantic Canada, Deborah Maund, had a productive meeting with the New Brunswick Premier’s Council on the Status of Disabled Persons Board. They are committed to leading by example in this province, having committed to taking the e-learning training and encouraging others to do so as well. Plans are in place for future collaborations as well.

Staff at WeCare Home Healthcare Services in Moncton are committed to increasing their awareness for the needs of persons with speech and language disabilities. Many of the team of the team have completed the e-learning modules and have received their certificates.

In Ontario:

Our heartfelt thanks goes to Tracy Shepherd who is stepping down as CAN Ontario Coordinator to take on the new role as a co-chair of the ISAAC Conference 2016. We wish her the very best of luck. As Ontario coordinator, Tracy brought the CAN message to many organizations in the province during the past year. Thank you, Tracy. You have sprinkled Ontario with communication access symbols!

Starting April 2015, we welcome Nora Rothschild as the CAN Ontario coordinator.  Nora has extensive experience as an AAC clinician and has recently retired from her clinical practices at Children’s Treatment Network of Simcoe York and Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital. Welcome, Nora!

Across the Provinces:

We are pleased to welcome Randa Tomczak, Speech-Language Pathologist who is taking on the role of CAN coordinator in Alberta and Saskatchewan. Randa will be following up on work started by Christine Beliveau in 2014. Randa has over 13 years of clinical experience in adult and child communication disorders. We are looking forward to having her on our CAN team. Tracy Shepherd will continue as regional coordinator for Manitoba.

On the West Coast:

In the Fall, BC Regional Coordinator Lois Turner met with staff in the Training Initiatives department at the Ministry of Social Development & Social Innovation, who agreed to review the e-learning modules. In January, they added the link to their Core Training intranet (internal) site, where the modules were highlighted in a “soft launch” for existing Employment & Assistance Workers and announced as mandatory for new hires. In March, a resource package was distributed to delegates at the Annual Supervisors’ Meeting. These two activities increase the probability that people know about CAN in many Ministry offices in the province.

To have someone speak to your city, business or organization about communication access, please contact your regional coordinator.

Let’s connect!

We love to hear from you, so make sure you connect with us: like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter or send us an email.

We look forward to sharing and connecting with you.

Communication Disabilities Access Canada (CDAC) is thrilled to announce we have added 56 new communication intermediaries to our roster. Over 200 intermediaries are now available across Canada to assist people communicating in legal and justice situations. Check out the roster.

More highlights from the past few weeks…

Our Latest Resource:

Communication Access Now (CAN) has added a new resource, outlining communication access barriers and recommendations for educational services for students with speech and language disabilities from kindergarten through post-secondary education and lifelong learning.

Nationally:

While on vacation in Dublin, Executive Director Barbara Collier presented the Communication Access Now message to 55 Speech Language Therapists. Citizens can expect to see communication access symbols around Dublin and increased initiatives to improve accessibility to goods and services for people with communication disabilities.

Barbara Collier and CAN Ambassador Colin Phillips had a productive meeting with Councillor Wong-Tam. She is committed to including communication access as part of all public services run by the City of Toronto. Keep an eye out for the communication access symbol and for communication assistance at city run public meetings.

On the West Coast:

Regional Coordinator Lois Turner and Social Media Coordinator Glenda Watson Hyatt shared the need for communication access and how people can get involved with Communication Access Now with a packed workshop of 50 people hosted by ConnecTra, an agency linking people with disabilities to activities and programs to become more active and involved in community life. http://www.connectra.org

In Ontario:

Regional Coordinator Tracy Shepherd shared the need for communication access with the Kingston Municipal Accessibility Advisory Committee and members of the Customer Service department.

Attendees were excited to learn great tips to use when communicating with the citizens who have speech and language disabilities, including individuals with a smile, talking directly to them rather than a person with them, and asking what you should do when communicating with them.

The Accessibility Compliance Project Manager stated that they will display the symbol in customer service areas and that they are already starting to incorporate the symbol in documentation.  In addition, members noted that they will use the resources and e-learning modules to train staff.

In Atlantic Canada:

Colleagues of Regional Coordinator Debbie Maud are reporting they are using the CAN materials in their communities.

To have someone speak to your city, business or organization about communication access, please contact your regional coordinator.

Let’s connect!

We love to hear from you, so make sure you connect with us: like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter or send us an email.

We look forward to sharing and connecting with you.

Communication Disabilities Access Canada (CDAC) has been busy over the last few weeks, spreading the message about communication access for individuals with speech and language disabilities. Here are a few highlights…

Nationally:

On January 26, 2015, Barbara Collier, Executive Director of Communication Disabilities Access Canada, and India Ochs, member of the Executive Board of Directors for International Society for Augmentative and Alternative Communication (ISAAC), met with Judith Heumann, US State Department Special Advisor for International Disability Rights. They discussed the need to include accessibility requirements of people with speech and language disabilities in policy and guidelines.  Judith Heumann reported that she will do her best to raise awareness of the needs of this population.

On February 4^th, fifty federal government workers representing 20 departments attended an information session given by Barbara. As a result, citizens can expect to see more communication access symbols going up around Ottawa and hopefully more accessible government services for people with speech and language disabilities, especially services typically provided over the telephone. Canadians with speech and language disabilities also should expect government services that host public events to  include communication assistance as an accessibility accommodation. Let us know your experiences.

Barbara also had a good meeting with policy analysts from the Senior Policy Unit. The group is excited about connecting the dots between communication access and supports for seniors.

Our Latest Resource:

No two individuals with speech and language disabilities are the same. We have different accessibility requirements, depending upon our unique situation and abilities. Communication Access Now (CAN) has released the new resource Communication Profiles, which describe what two individuals with speech and language disabilities need to effectively communicate. Other profiles will be added over time.

On the West Coast:

Lois Turner, CAN Regional Coordinator for BC, conducted an Ambassadors Workshop for individuals living in Victoria. The participants learned about the CAN project, what their communication rights are, how to communicate their accessibility needs and how to promote communication access. They are all interested in working with a Speech-Language Pathologist to spread the CAN message.

Last week, our Social Media Coordinator Glenda Watson Hyatt had the pleasure of sharing about the communication access symbol and the communication access card with the  Communication Assistance for Youth and Adults (CAYA) Chat Group.

It was exciting to hear that several participants with speech and language disabilities have already been using the communication access card at banks, restaurants and other places in their communities. It is quite an empowering tool!

In Ontario:

Communication Access Now was at the Riverbrink Art Museum in Queenston, Ontario. Regional Coordinator Tracy Shepherd presented to the Museums of Niagara Association (MONA) including managers from the Niagara Historical Museum, Jordan Historical Museum, Riverbrink Art Museum, Niagara Falls Museums, Grimsby Museum, and St. Catherine Museum along with some members of the community.

It was a pleasure to arrive at the Museum to see the communication access symbol already prominently displayed!

In Atlantic Canada:

Atlantic Regional Coordinator Debbie Maud has been writing a flurry of letters and emails to groups interested in learning more about communication access. Hopefully, a slew of meetings and presentation will soon follow.

To have someone speak to your city, business or organization about communication access, please contact your regional coordinator.

Let’s connect!

We love to hear from you, so make sure you connect with us: like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter or send us an email.

We look forward to sharing and connecting with you.

Communication Access Now (CAN) has received a letter of support from Dave Martin, Senior Advisor on Disability Issues to Minister Irvin-Ross, Minister responsible for Persons with Disabilities, Manitoba. In the letter, Mr. Martin stated:

“I would like to commend CAN on the valuable work you are doing…your organization’s website is particularly useful, as it offers tips for service providers when interacting with someone who has a communication disability. I can assure you the Government of Manitoba supports your objectives by striving to provide accessible and respectful service to all people with disabilities, including those with communication disabilities”.

Mr. Martin requested that CAN provide input to the Manitoba Policy on Access to Government so that the specific needs of people with communication disabilities may be addressed.

A letter of support was also received from Cyde Jackman, MHA, Minister Responsible for the Status of Persons with Disabilities, Government of Newfoundland and Labrador. The Minister oversees the implementation of the Government’s Strategy for the Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities.

Mr. Jackman thanked CAN for its valuable information, which he stated will be used to inform policy directions. He has shared the information with the Disability Policy Office that coordinates the strategy across government.

Rounding out the trio of letters, CDAC was thrilled to receive one from International Society for Augmentative and Alternative Communication (ISAAC) for Communication Access Now (CAN) and our communication access symbol.

Jeff Riley, ISAAC International President, 2012-15, wrote:

“On behalf of the ISAAC Executive Board, I am pleased to advise that ISAAC, as an organization, absolutely supports the concept of communication access symbols that allow people with complex communication needs to more readily communicate and interact with the world around them. In particular, we wish to congratulate you and CDAC for your ongoing efforts in this area, and extend official support for CDAC’s Communication Access symbol.”

Read the full letter from ISAAC.

The support for communication access continued with the Ontario Association of Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists kindly naming the Toronto Star’s article “Ontarians with communication disabilities struggle to be heard” as #6 in their top 20 articles from 2014! Their support is appreciated.

These gestures are encouraging as they indicate that Canadians with speech and language disabilities are being noticed and acknowledged. Finally.

Let’s connect!

We love to hear from you, so make sure you connect with us: like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter or send us an email.

We look forward to sharing and connecting with you.

Communication Disabilities Access Canada (CDAC) continues to promote the need for communication access for Canadians with speech and language disabilities.  Here are a few highlights from the last few weeks…

Nationally: CDAC added 41 new communication intermediaries to our national roster.

It also released an accessibility checklist for businesses and organizations to gauge their communication access to individuals with speech and language disabilities.

On the West Coast: BC Regional Coordinator Lois Turner and Social Media Coordinator Glenda Watson Hyatt took the message about Communication Access Now to the International Day for Persons with Disabilities expo held in Vancouver. Many people showed an interest in the information and in the need for communication access.

Recently, Lois presented to the Seniors Advisory Committee for the City of New Westminster, and to the Richmond Centre for Disabilities’ Board, which advises the City of Richmond on accessibility issues. Both groups gave favourable feedback about the presentations and indicated that they would display the communication access symbol.

In Ontario: Regional Coordinator Tracy Shepherd spent the International Day of Persons with Disabilities sharing the Communication Access Now message at the Ability Fair in Ottawa’s Library and Archives Building, where over 100,000 public servants had been invited to browse and learn about available information and resources.

In Atlantic Canada:In early December, Debbie Maund, Atlantic Canada Regional Coordinator, along with CAN Ambassador Kalika Webb shared the Communication Access Now message at the Nova Scotia Minister’s Advisory Panel on Accessibility Legislation Public Consultation in Amherst, Nova Scotia. Panel members were pleased to learn of the CAN project and are taking the information back to their committee. We look forward to future dialogues with them.

Earlier this week, Debbie and Kalika shared the Communication Access Now message with two groups of frontline municipal staff in the City of Dieppe, New Brunswick. Attendes peppered Debbie and Kalika with questions and then left planning the various locations around municipal buildings that would display the communication access symbol.

Debbie is looking forward to following up with them in the New Year to continue our work together spreading the CAN message. She is hoping their enthusiasm will spark the interest of other municipalities in the region.

To have someone speak to your city, business or organization about communication access, please contact your regional coordinator.

Let’s connect!

We love to hear from you, so make sure you connect with us: like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter or send us an email.

We look forward to sharing and connecting with you.

Communication Disabilities Access Canada (CDAC) has been busy over the past two weeks.  Here are a few highlights…

Nationally: On Monday, Barbara Collier, Executive Director of CDAC presented at the national forum on ensuring equality in the justice system for people with intellectual disabilities.  Barbara shared info6rmation about CDAC’s trainings and national roster of communication intermediaries.

On the West Coast: Last week, BC Regional Coordinator Lois Turner and Social Media Coordinator Glenda Watson Hyatt shared the Communication Access Now message with the Inter-Agency Committee, hosted by City of Surrey. The presentation was enthusiastically received by this group representing several Lower Mainland cities and various disability-related organizations.

All attending members reported that they intend to display the Communication Access Symbol in their department or agency; some showed an interest in implementing the online learning course within their workplaces.

In Ontario: Regional Coordinator Tracy Shepherd along with Communication Access Now (CAN) Ambassador Nola Millin presented to the City of Windsor; Toni Southern, a Communication Intermediary from the area, also attended. This group was very interested and receptive to using the Communication Access Symbols and strategies in their work with the public.

Tracy and Nola also presented to the Windsor Police.  The Police station already displays the Communication Access Symbol prominently in their lobby and reception area.

In a letter from appreciation, Lori Powers, Director of E911 Centre, wrote, “This was an excellent presentation that was well received.”

Lori is dedicated to using the CAN materials to train staff as well as using the Communication Intermediary Services from the Access to Justice project.

In the Maritimes: Debbie Maund, Atlantic Canada Regional Coordinator along with Kalika Webb shared the CAN message at the Nova Scotia Minister’s Advisory Panel on Accessibility Legislation Public Consultation in Amherst, Nova Scotia. Panel members were pleased to learn of the CAN project and are taking the information back to their committee. We look forward to future dialogues with them.

To have someone speak to your city, business or organization about communication access, please contact your regional coordinator.

Let’s connect!

We love to hear from you, so make sure you connect with us: like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter or send us an email.

We look forward to sharing and connecting with you.

Even though temperatures are dropping across the country, the Communication Disabilities Access Canada (CDAC) is still abuzz with activity, promoting human rights, accessibility and inclusion for people who have speech and language disabilities that are not primarily caused by hearing loss.

Nationally: CDAC’s Executive Director Barbara Collier and Board member Hazel Self presented on the Communication Access Now (CAN) project to the federal Office for Disability Issues on October 22, 2014. Unfortunately, their presentation to federal government employees has to be rescheduled due to the tragic event that day on Parliament Hill.

This month CDAC is hosting Communication Intermediary webinars for over 60 Speech-Language Pathologists to prepare them to work in legal and justice settings.

On the West Coast: Last week BC Regional Coordinator Lois Turner had a good meeting with Ella Haung, the Executive Director of the Richmond Centre for Disability. The Communication Access Symbol is now prominently displayed around the Centre.

Ella is also an accessibility advisor to the City of Richmond and does accessibility training for taxi cab companies in Richmond. She had many ideas for sharing CAN resources, the e-learning modules and the communication access symbol.

On the Prairies: CAN Regional Coordinator Tracy Shepherd met with the Disability Issues Office and the Accessibility Advisory Committee in Winnipeg, Manitoba, in October. They were very receptive to the CAN project and are interested in using our materials in their training and helping to spread the word in Manitoba.

While in Winnipeg, the CAN message was also spread to Speech Language Pathologists at the St. Amant Centre and the Open Access Resource Centre.

In Ontario: Tracy also met with the City of London, Ontario, and will be meeting with the City of Kitchener and the City of Windsor in November.

To have someone speak to your city, business or organization about communication access, please contact your regional coordinator.

Let’s connect!

We love to hear from you, so make sure you connect with us: like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter or send us an email.

We look forward to sharing and connecting with you.