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Sign on to the Right to Communication Resolution
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BREAKING THE BARRIERS
RESOLUTION ON THE RIGHT TO COMMUNICATE
Statement of Purpose
The right to communicate is both a basic human right and the means by which all other rights are realized. All people communicate. In the name of fully realizing the guarantee of individual rights, we must ensure:
- that all people have a means of communication which allows their fullest participation in the wider world;
- that people can communicate using their chosen method; and,
- that people's communication is heeded by others.
Often the inability to communicate effectively and the lack of alternative communication methods results in frustration, behavioral issues, segregation, restrictive environments and, therefore, limited life opportunities. Where people lack an adequate communication system, they deserve to have others try with them to discover and secure an effective & desirable system. No person should have this right denied because he/she has been diagnosed as having a particular disability. Access to one or more effective means of communication is a free speech issue. |
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Rationale
Impact. Individuals with significant disabilities often do not have the opportunity to develop or implement methods of communication that are tailored to his or her needs. Even when an effective method of communication has been developed, the individual may be deprived of access to the accommodations and supports necessary to use it on a regular basis. Many people with disabilities find that their potential to communicate is seldom tapped or respected. Even those individuals who are able to communicate find it frustrating to express choices in an environment that is unable and unwilling to honor their decisions. These communication deprivations frequently lead to the expression of behaviors considered undesirable or dangerous, which in turn may trigger a downward spiral of inappropriate, and often abusive, restriction, seclusion, and/or restraint.
Access to Communication. All persons with disabilities should be provided therapy and training directed toward permitting them to communicate freely. All people with communication disabilities should be given the opportunity to use augmentative and alternative communication. Access to communication includes: a) opportunities for assessment to judge the suitability of various methods, b) access to training in the selected method(s), c) respect of the method(s) chosen by and demonstrated effective for each individual, d) access to any equipment needed, both in the short term during training and in the longer term for continued use if training is successful, e) training for support people and others in the person's environment so access to communication can take place across environments, f) adequate funding to ensure the long term access to training, support, and needed equipment.
Education. Instruction in communication is an essential element of the education of people with communication disabilities. People using augmentative or alternative communication must be given the assistance necessary for them to communicate with others at school and in their other environments. Any equipment, training or staffing necessary to enable communication to take place must be supplied, both to that person and to those with whom he or she wishes to interact on a regular basis. The collaborative education team must ensure that all such communication equipment, or comparable equipment, follow the person to other environments and when transitioning from the school.
Freedom to Communicate. No person should be able to veto the use of another person's augmentative or alternative communication method that has been proven to be effective for that person. This includes all forms of alternative and augmentative communication, such as communication devices, gestures, sign language, and facilitated communication. In any instances where such use is forbidden, there should be recourse to the legal and protective systems. People with communication disabilities must be allowed to use the communication system of their own choice in all communication interactions in any setting.
Presumption of Competence in Decision-Making and Advocacy. People are presumed to have an active interest in decisions affecting their lives on a short-term and long-term basis. It must be presumed that any message communicated by the individual using a method demonstrated to be effective, belongs to that person unless proven otherwise. In planning or decision-making on a person's behalf, the person's participation must be ensured regardless of the formal communication methods used. Assuring participation may include the involvement of allies, advocates, or communication partners before, during, and after planning meetings and other interactions that will determine the person's future.
Legal Issues. People using augmentative communication must be permitted to use the system of their own choice in court or other settings related to legal hearings or interactions. People using a communication strategy requiring the involvement of another person to receive and relay their communication must be permitted to use the partner/support person of their choice in legal interactions. Each state's protection and advocacy system should develop the resources needed to support such full participation in the legal process.
Adopted October , 2003
Revised, February, 2004
Click on the below links for printable versions of the Breaking the Barriers Resolution on The Right to Communicate.
Click to View Word Document File.
Click to View Adobe PDF File.
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