Jacob: During a lockdown I had to go to the hospital in the middle of the night, so my family called for an ambulance.
However when the paramedics arrived at home they said that no one could come in the ambulance nor in the hospital, as it was during lockdown.
It was my first time in an ambulance, as well as it was the first time in a hospital by myself. As well I didn't know what is happening to me medically so it was nerve wracking.
My family told the paramedics to give me time to prepare my messages in my communication device and I am able to understand what they say to me.
During the trip to the hospital one of the paramedics spoke to me to keep my mind off what was going on with me.
When we got the hospital, during their handover the paramedics told the nurses and doctors how to communicate with me.
It helped to settle my nerves. I could get my messages across and the hospital staff spoke directly to me.
Communication Access is important when accessing all mainstream services.
It is especially important in the emergency health care setting.
People are usually unwell, under stress, frightened about what's happening to them or very vulnerable in these settings.
Understandably communication can be compromised in these settings, however if people can't get their message across and explain what is happening to them, it can have unpleasant harmful or even disastrous consequences for their health.
As someone with a communication disability I know that triple zero call takers, paramedics, doctors and nurses are all in these lines of work because they care about people.
They genuinely have the right attitude - they just need strategies tools and training in their tool kits to know how to confidently communicate more effectively with any patient.
It is my hope that one day that all emergency health care workers receive consistent tools and training in Communication Access across Australia.
Communication is a basic human right. Let's equip staff in mainstream services with the knowledge and skills to be able to make this a reality.