May 2008 Edition - agosci

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articles articles2020 Summit SubmissionIntroduction by Wendy Webster34The Prime Minister of Australia Kevin Rudd convened anAustralia 2020 Summit at Parliament House on 19 and 20 Aprilto help shape a long term strategy for the nation’s future.The Summit brought together some of the best and brightestbrains from across the country to tackle the long term challengesconfronting Australia’s future –challenges which require longtermresponses from the nation beyond the usual three yearelectoral cycle.To do this, the Government brought together 1000 plus leadingAustralians to the national Parliament to debate and developlong-term options for the nation across 10 critical areas:1. The Productivity Agenda – education, skills, training,science and innovation2. The Future of the Australian Economy3. Population, sustainability, climate change and water4. Future directions for rural industries and ruralcommunities5. A long-term national health strategy – including thechallenges of preventative health, workforce planning andthe ageing population6. Strengthening communities, supporting families andsocial inclusion7. Options for the future of Aboriginal and Torres StraitIslanders8. Towards a creative Australia: the future of the arts, fi lmand design9. The future of Australian governance: renewed democracy,a more open government (including the role of themedia), the structure of the Federation and the rightsand responsibilities of citizens10. Australia’s future security and prosperity in a rapidlychanging region and world.In addition to those participating in the Summit, all Australianswere invited to make submissions on each of the 10 futurechallenges. These were submitted to the Department of PrimeMinister and Cabinet which acts as the secretariat for the Summit.ISAAC Australia and AGOSCI would like to thank MeredithAllan for putting together a submission after collaborating with(Dr) Bronwyn Hemsley, Karen Bloomberg, Hilary Johnson,Melinda Smith, Wendy Webster and Cath Gunn.It was decidedto submit under the “Strengthing communities, supportingfamilies and social inclusion” section and defined the topic as:How we provide practical support to families to combine thetasks of work, raising children and caring for ageing parents.How we provide practical support to families tocombine the tasks of work, raising children and caringfor ageing parents.Approximately 1 in 500 people in Australia have ComplexCommunication Needs (Perry et al. 2003). ComplexCommunication Needs (CCN) is defi ned as:Communication problems associated with a wide range ofphysical, sensory and environmental causes which restrict/limit their ability to participate independently in society. Theyand their communication partners may benefit from usingAlternative or Augmentative Communication (AAC) methodseither temporarily or permanently.This means there are a number of people who struggle withspeech and cannot use speech alone to get their needs met.Many people with CCN also have other associated physical,intellectual, sensory and social emotional issues that impact ontheir ability to participate in the community.Everyone with a CCN is part of a family unit. The communicationproblem therefore does not just impact on the individualbut also on individual’s communication partners. Whetherthe communication disability is developmental, acquiredor progressive the impact significant as communication isfundamental to all aspects of daily living and quality of life.People with CCN often rely upon augmentative and alternativeforms of communication (AAC). Alternative and augmentativecommunication (AAC) refers to an area of research, clinicaland educational practice. AAC involves attempts to studyand when necessary compensate for temporary or permanentimpairments, activity limitations, and participation restrictionsof persons with severe disorders of speech and languageproduction and/or comprehension, including spoken andwritten modes of communication. (2005, p.1)Issue that impact on these individuals include access to:• Appropriate education –including early interventionservices, non-segregated primary and secondary schooling,post-school options
articles articles2020 Summit Submission (cont)• Appropriate housing and accommodation options• Appropriate communication support services• Appropriate communication aids and technology• Appropriate attendant care support• Meaningful daytime activities – including paid and unpaidemploymentSolutions include:• Valuing unpaid carers: keeping people with high supportneeds with their families. Increasing the carers allowancein line with increases in the CPI.• Increasing the time available for respite• Offering respite in a variety of models eg. In-houserespite• Building more respite facilities – that are physicallyaccessible and communication accessible• Increasing the disability pension• Increasing the number of speech pathologists trained• Including training in AAC (Alternative and AugmentativeCommunication) to disability support staff• Funding to adapt worksites to become more “communicationfriendly”• National funding for non-technological communicationaids (based on the Victorian NECAS – Non-electronicCommunication Aid Scheme)A Speech Pathologist at the 2020 Summitby Juliet VanyaiSpeech Language Pathologist, Education Department Tasmaniajuliet.vanyai@education.tas.gov.auWhen the idea for the summit was fi rst publicized I remembersaying to my husband “There should be a speech pathologistat that!” I think he’s known me long enough to nod and agreewith statements like that but I really felt passionately that ourprofession has such a valuable contribution to make to earlychildhood care and education. I briefly considered making asubmission which involved writing about yourself and your ideaand paying your own way to Canberra but shelved the idea asthe busyness of day to day life took over. So when I saw theopportunity to make a submission to the Mercury newspaperin Hobart and attend the summit all expenses paid I wrote50 words about the importance of early oral language skillsparticularly in the transition to written literacy and the nextthing I knew I was on my way to Parliament House.• National funding for technological communication aids(based on the Victorian Aids and Equipment Program)• Adapting worksites to ensure workers with disabilities haveaccess to employmentEmploymentMost people with CCN have mobility disability, so employers,like the rest of the community, see not one disability butmultiple disabilities. There is or will be a severe workershortage in Australia. Both employers and potential employeeswith CCN have to be able/allowed to see the possibilities.ReferencesAmerican Speech-Language-Hearing Association. (2005)Roles and responsibilities of speech-langauge pathologistswith respect to alternative communication: Position statement.Retrieved from http://www.asha.org/NR/rdonlyres/BA19B90C-1C17-4230-86A8-83B4E12E365/0/v3PSaac.pdfPerry, A., Reilly, S., Cotton, S., Bloomberg, K, Johnson, H.(2004) A demographic survey of people who have a disabilityand complex communication needs in Victoria, Australia. AsiaPacifi c Journal of Speech, Language and Hearing, 9, 3, 259-271.The whole experience was so interesting on many levels. Sureit was exciting to rub shoulders with so many people in thepublic eye (I walked past Hugh Jackman at a social functionbut decided against interrupting his conversation with another“summiteer” to retain any professional credibility I may havehad!) But even more satisfying was to participate in discussions35
Page 1 and 2: May 2008Volume 27 Issue 1AGOSCIin f
Page 3 and 4: contentsFrom the Editors ..........
Page 5 and 6: agosciNational ExecutiveChairperson
Page 7 and 8: eportsNotations ...Secretary’s re
Page 9 and 10: eportsState Reports (cont)Services.
Page 11 and 12: eportsISAAC Australia - President
Page 13 and 14: ccommunicationo m m u n i c a t i o
Page 33 and 34: articles articlesSaliva Control & t
Page 35: Conference Reportby Hilary JohnsonC
Page 39 and 40: articles articlesMountains and Mole
Page 41 and 42: AAC, the arts & sportAAC, the arts
Page 43 and 44: eviewsMovie ReviewThe Diving Bell a
Page 45 and 46: eviewsBook ReviewThe Communication
Page 47: COMMUNICATION - Feel the PowerAGOSC

May 2008 Edition - agosci

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