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CDAC acknowledges a funding contribution from Employment and Social Development Canada.  (gov logo) need link where to get the logo and how you want the logo to be displayed

Communication Disabilities Access Canada (CDAC) is a national, non-profit, charitable organization. CDAC promotes human rights, accessibility and inclusion for people who have speech and language disabilities that are not caused primarily by hearing loss.

Contact CDAC (email link) need full e-mail or phone (416) 444-9532

Click here for more information on CDAC

1. Say “hello”, don’t ignore the person
2. Talk directly to the person, not the person who is with them
3. Ask the person if there is anything you can do when communicating with them.
4. Be patient, do not rush the conversation
5. Make an effort to understand what the person is communicating.

Click here for ways to make services communication accessible.

1. Good communication is good business for everyone, including people who have speech and language disabilities.
2. Organizations are legally obliged to provide accessible services.
3. Access is more than getting into a building or having documents in alternate formats. It is also about how people interact, understand and express their thoughts.
4. Lack of effective communication can result in serious consequences, especially in essential health, legal and justice services.
5. Businesses and organizations can do simple things so that customers can understand and communicate effectively with them.
6. In critical communication services, communication access means having protocols, staff training, communication assistance services and communication tools.

Communication Access Now (CAN) is a national campaign to help organizations and service providers communicate more effectively with people who have speech and language disabilities.

Over 440,000 Canadians have speech and language disabilities, not caused by hearing loss.

Communication disabilities may be caused by cerebral palsy, autism, cognitive disability, traumatic brain injury, aphasia after a stroke, dementia, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, Multiple Sclerosis or other conditions.

Communication access means that people can:

• Understand what you are saying
• Have you understand their messages
• Use the communication methods that work best for them such as speech, gestures, writing, pointing to objects or pictures, spelling words, typing on a communication device or human assistance
• Read and understand your written information
• Sign your documents and complete forms in ways that are accessible for them

Businesses and organization may need to make changes in how they communicate when providing their services to people with speech and language disabilities.

Click here for the communication access symbol.

Video (link to communication access now – video 1)

Arti (not his real name) used the wheelchair ramp to get into the police station. But once he got in the door, the police officer could not understand his speech which is unclear at times. The officer did not know what to do and wanted to call one of Arti’s assistants. Arti didn’t want him do this as he was trying to report an assistant for ongoing abuse.

Jolene (not her real name) can’t speak. She types on a device to communicate. When admitted to hospital, the nurse locked up her device in the nurses’ station for “safe keeping”. Jolene’s communication was limited to answering yes and no questions. She could not request medication, ask for a drink of water, explain her pain and discomfort, or ask questions about her treatment.

In both these situations, service providers needed information about ways to make their services accessible for people who have speech and language disabilities.

CAN is important because:

• People who have speech and language disabilities have the same rights as everyone else including equal access to goods, services and opportunities in their communities.

• There are 440,000 people in Canada who have speech and language disabilities that are not caused by hearing loss. They may have cerebral palsy, autism, cognitive disability, traumatic brain injury, aphasia after a stroke, dementia, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, Parkinson’s Disease; Multiple Sclerosis or other conditions.
• Businesses and organizations have legal responsibilities to ensure that people who have communication disabilities can effectively communicate with them when using their services.
• Communication access is currently not well represented in accessibility legislation and guidelines for businesses and organizations.
• Communication is important in any situation, however there can be serious consequences when people cannot effectively communicate in essential services such as police, healthcare, legal and emergency services.

• Endorse the message “I support the need for communication access to all businesses, organizations and especially to healthcare, emergency and justice services”.
• Follow us on Facebook and Twitter (link)
• Share the CAN postcards with businesses in your community (link – coming)
• Display the Communication Access postcard and sticker (link coming)
• “Like” and share the CAN video on Youtube (link under Comm access video)
• Distribute CAN brochures – contact your regional coordinator for these
• Mail the CAN support letter to your local accessibility committee, chamber of commerce, city councilors, public and private sectors, significant businesses and organizations, hospitals, emergency services and justice services
• Send the CAN support letter to your MP, MPP (Coming soon)
• Tell us other ways you can support CAN

• Make a communication display or program vocabulary into a device
• Practice communicating about accessibility with different types of businesses
• Discuss what to do if rights are ignored