All people are different and the way they access their environment and participate differs. Also, some people have physical access requirements, which means they may use a wheelchair or walker to get around.
Some people have sensory access requirements. This means they might have sensory needs which impact how they experience the environment around them. People may use aids like glasses or a hearing aid or benefit from adaptations to the environment like a quiet space.
So what are communication access requirements? Communication access requirements is a term used to describe someone who has difficulty communicating. A person who has communication access requirements may have difficulty sending a message or difficulty receiving or understanding messages. Some people may have difficulty both sending and receiving messages. Messages can be sent indifferent modes such as through speech, writing or signing.
A person who has communication access requirements might have difficulty communicating in just one of these modes or across multiple modes. People might have communication access requirements for a range of reasons and experience these at any age. It might be associated with a condition that they have had since birth. These can include cerebral pausy, down syndrome, autism, intellectual disability, or deafness. Other people might acquire communication access requirements later in life. This could be a result of stroke, a brain injury, surgery to their mouth, tongue, or voice box, or a progressive disease like dementia.
For some people, communication difficulties are permanent. Others might experience communication difficulties temporarily or only in certain settings. Communication can fluctuate depending on the situation. For example, a person who only speaks English may have difficulty sending and receiving messages when they are in a non-English-speaking environment. Someone who is experiencing stressful or traumatic event might struggle to communicate effectively. A person might temporarily have difficulty communicating when they are sick and lose their voice like laryngitis, a jaw injury, or a temporary change to their cognitive state such as delirium or an acute mental health episode.
What can you do to communicate effectively with people who have communication access requirements? You can ask them how they would like to communicate and be communicated with. Don't make assumptions about how a person communicates or their understanding. Itis okay to ask someone how best to communicate with them. Treat everyone with respect. The person may have their own communication system. If not, you could offer communication tools, including boards or books with pictures or words on them. Another way to communicate effectively is to ask yes or no questions. A person might indicate this by speaking or moving their head, eyes, or another part of their body, like moving their arm.
We hope this helps you to understand what communication access requirements are, why people have difficulty communicating, and how you can communicate more effectively with someone.
Visit scopost.org.au for more information and advice.