Special issue of IJSLP regarding communication rights

We have almost finalised the content for our special issue of the International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology celebrating the 70th anniversary of the Universal of Declaration of Human Rights. There will be over 30 manuscripts in the special issue with the foreword written by the Australian Human Rights Commissioner and the Australian Disability Discrimination Commissioner. Here is a summary:

The special issue of International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology (2018, volume 20, issue 1) celebrates the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and aims to expand the discussion of communication as a human right as it relates not only to Article 19, but also to subsequent national and international conventions, declarations, legislations, policies, and practices. The special issue addresses communication as a human right from four perspectives: (1) communication rights of all people, (2) communication rights of people with communication disabilities, (3) communication rights of children, and (4) communication rights relating to language. Many papers address more than one perspective; for example, the right to Arabic literacy education for children who are Syrian refugees in the US. In order to examine a broad range of interpretations of communication as a human right, this special issue draws on divergent perspectives from across the globe (including Australia, Belgium, Canada, Fiji, Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Shetland, South Africa, Sweden, Syria, UK, and USA). First hand accounts of people whose right to communicate is compromised/upheld are included and other papers are written by people with expertise and advocacy roles in speech-language pathology, audiology, education, psychology, communications, literature, and law. This special issue has embraced the notion of imparting “information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers” by not only including research articles and reviews, but by including short commentaries, invited papers, drawing and poetry.

It has been a privilege to be the guest editor for this important special issue.