Communication Disabilities Access Canada

University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities The Olmstead Act was a court decision made on June 22, 1999 which ruled that the unjustified segregation of disabled people is an act of discrimination. Thanks to the Olmstead Act, people with disabilities are more included in their communities, although there is still much work to be done to create...

Watch and enjoy! Fantastic film about the Bliss I- Band journey

The Journey of the Bliss i Band 2022 05 17

Opinion | I’m a College Student With a Disability. Stop Treating Me Like a Child. The path into adulthood is a precarious one for those with a disability. So Samuel Habib, 21, seeks out guidance from America’s most rebellious disability activists.

Can you spare a minute to help Louise Russo? 81 signatures are still needed! Call for Integrated GTA Wheel-Trans

AAC words matter: a survey Words matter. What words do you prefer when talking about AAC and the people that use it?

In , Samuel interviewed one of his mentors, Bob Williams, the former Commissioner of the Administration on about transitioning to adulthood with a disability. Bob said, “When I grew up, the chances were slim to none, for a kid like me with , who drooled and had little to no understandable speech, ever entering the public school, let alone graduating from high school and college, having a career, getting married, or having a family.” We look forward to sharing these conversations with you soon.

Image Description: Photo of Bob in his wheelchair, wearing a white long sleeve shirt and sweater vest. He is facing Samuel, who is also in his wheelchair and wearing a navy blue button down shirt and khakis. Dan is sitting next to him in a chair, wearing a blue button down shirt and blue pants. They are seated in a living room and there are house plants, a television, and a rattan chair behind them.

Just announced! 🔊

The Government of Canada has appointed Michael Gottheil as the first-ever Accessibility Commissioner, effective 09 May, 2022.

Mr. Gottheil’s leadership and vast experience in the fields of justice and human rights, will be critical to his role in administrating and enforcing the Accessible Canada Act and its regulations.

This is a major step, supporting the Government’s continued commitment to build a truly inclusive and barrier-free Canada.

Learn more: http://ow.ly/OSto50IRMov

Image description: Image of Michael Gottheil, Accessibility Commissioner with the text "New Accessibility Commissioner".

Bob Williams's Invited Comments to the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee | CommunicationFIRST CommunicationFIRST was one of five entities and individuals invited to deliver three-minute "oral" public comments to the US Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) on April 14, 2022, before the IACC's first session in years devoted to the topic of the communication support needs of autisti...

Dr. Janice Light will present to the IACC (Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee) on Thursday April 14 at 3pm (ET). The event is free and open to the public.
https://iacc.hhs.gov/meetings/iacc-meetings/2022/full-committee-meeting/april13-14/ National Rehabilitation Information Center (NARIC) Penn State Communication Sciences and Disorders

What it's like to have aphasia, the 'devastating' language disorder Bruce Willis has | CBC News There are over 100,000 Canadians living with aphasia, a communication disorder that affects the ability to understand and express language, according to the Aphasia Institute. Christine Patten is one of them.

ISAAC invites people who use AAC to meet online for informal chats. The next PWUAAC Online Chat is happening today at 1pm EST!

Join the chat here: https://isaac-online.org/english/news/pwuaac-online-chats/

For groups looking to help disseminate information, tools, and strategies to colleagues and persons of need in Ukraine, there are a variety of supportive resources available for free download. Widgit created a Refugee Communication Support Pack in a variety of languages: Refugee Support Pack | Widgit and ISAAC has gathered a list of supportive links:

ISAAC – Home The International Society for Augmentative and Alternative Communication (ISAAC) works to improve the lives of children and adults who use AAC. ISAAC’s vision is that AAC will be recognized, valued and used throughout the world. ISAAC’s mission is to promote the best possible communication for p...