And welcome to Accessibility Includes Communication: A conversation about communication access in Canada.
I’m Glenda, your host.
Why me as host?
I have nearly 60 years of experience living with cerebral palsy, which affects both my coordination and my speech. Sixty years of navigating a world that was not built for a physical disability nor a speech disability. Sixty years of navigating education, health care, employment, travel and much more with my difficult-to-understand speech — Glenda-ish as I call it –- and various alternative methods of communication.
I have three decades of advocating for both physical accessibility and communication access. The latter is more personal because it is crucial, yet so misunderstood on multiple levels. I’d like section 5(c.1) of the Accessible Canada Act – “communication, other than information and communication technologies” – to be put into complete and meaningful practice.
More recently, my master’s research thesis “Persistent Gaps and Promising Practices in Recruiting, Hiring, and Retaining Canadians with Speech Disabilities” identified ways to include people with speech disabilities in the workforce. Many of these practices can also be used beyond on the workplace, and they often require little financial investment.
Lived experience + advocacy + research = your host for this conversation about communication access