ISAAC and A worldwide movement on

Communication Access

Barbara Solarsh and Hilary Johnson

Scope’s Communication and Inclusion Resource Centre

9843 2000

crc@scopevic.org.au

www.scopevic.org.au

Scope’s Communication and Inclusion

Resource Centre

We build the capacity of communities to include and support

people with little or no speech.

Communication Access

“Communication Access occurs when people are

respectful and responsive to individuals with

communication difficulties, and when strategies and

resources are used to support successful

communication” ( 2013).

History of Communication Access

State-wide strategy for the selection of the

communication access symbol (Victoria, Australia)

Communication Access Symbol launched in

Melbourne, Australia

Symbol approved Internationally as a

trademarked symbol

Submission of rules for registration of the

Communication Access symbol with the Australian

Consumer and Competition Commission

2009

2011

2014

2014

The story of Access 1969-2011

43 years

Communication access supports

anyone who faces communication

barriers

Communication Resource Centre

2004

Awareness vs Standards

Communication Access progress

2011-1014

Number of sites of assessment involved

with communication access July 2014

Sectors involved in Communication

Access

Major Communication Access

projects

• V/Line contract

• VEC

• Victorian Equal Opportunities and Human

Rights Commission

Communication Access Research

V/Line

Determining the communication accessibility issues of

V/Line train travel for people with disabilities. International

Association for the Study of Intellectual and Developmental

Disability, Vienna, Austria, July. (Johnson, H, Bigby, C &

West, D, 2014)

Australian Communication Exchange

Towards the development of a communication access

app and associated website with dual portals

(Kenny, J and West, D. 2014)

Collaborative Partnerships

• Nationally- Bendigo Bank

• Internationally- Aphasia United

Communication Access Assessors

Critical role

• All use AAC

• Paid employment

• Development and piloting of Checklists

• Identification of minumum standards

• Mystery Customers

• Communication Access Trainers

• Carry out Assessments

• Face to face

• Telephone

• Contribute to feedback letters

Future directions

• June 2015- Offer Communication Access License Agreement for the use

of resources and strategies developed by Scope

• Australia- Standards registered with the Australian Consumer and

Competition Commission would apply

• Internationally- Register the rules through own national commission, that

comply with Australian minimum standards

• Offer Communication Access Internships through Scope’s

Communication and Inclusion Resource centre

Communication Access License

Agreement

To include:

• Process

• Templates

• Checklists

• Training packages

• Recruitment process

• Optional Packages and Costing

The Big Questions- ISAAC’S Role

So far:

• Endorsed the Australian Communication Access Symbol

• Have included communication access updates in E-

newsletter

In the future:

• Will ISAAC take on a leadership role?

• Will chapters engage independently if they wish?

• Will individual organizations internationally engage

independently of ISAAC?

Scope is ready to work with you

Is there anyone interested in exploring a collaborative

partnership?

Contact details

Phone 9843 2000

Email crc@scopevic.org.au

Website www.scopevic.org.au/crc

Facebook facebook.com/scopevic

Twitter twitter.com/scopevictoria

For more information please contact Scope’s

Communication Resource Centre

Additional slides of resources produced for different sectors

Communication boards

Communication boards

Communication boards

Maps

Signage

Currently have a Victorian Strategy - in order to

display the symbol, businesses and organisations

will need to have an assessment conducted by a

trained assessor who has a communication

difficulty.

Communication Access