UTS seminar on communication rights

On 10 September, the University of Technology Sydney hosted a seminar to celebrate communication rights. Professor Bronwyn Hemsley organised the day, and it was attended by Alastair McEwan, the Disability Discrimination Officer from the Australian Human Rights Commission as well as speakers who had papers published in our special issue of IJSLP on communication rights. I was unable to attend, so my speech was presented via video. It was a very successful day.

Bronwyn Hemsley, Cate Madill, Gaenor Dixon, Alastair McEwan, Megan, Gail Mulcair, Jane McCormack

Sharynne presenting via video

There was a lot of Twitter activity during the event

Profiling communication rights in Australia and the US

Over the past few days our work on communication rights has been profiled by Speech Pathology Australia (SPA) during Speech Pathology week in social media and by promoting the Speak Up for Communication Rights website: http://www.speechpathologyaustralia.org.au/SpeakUp
The website now includes a video from my SPA presentation in May: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NXG8kaQrrNc&feature=youtu.be

The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association also has profiled our work in the ASHA Leader Blog: https://blog.asha.org/2018/08/27/speak-up-for-communication-rights-speakup4commrights/

United Nations NGO Accreditation Status for Speech Pathology Australia

Following on from our work to celebrate communication rights and the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Speech Pathology Australia has just been granted NGO Accreditation Status by the United Nations.

Here is the announcement on Facebook by Speech Pathology Australia:

Speech Pathology Australia has just been granted NGO (Non-Government Organisation) Accreditation Status by the United Nations! The Association’s application for new NGO accreditation to the Conference of States Parties to the CRPD (Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability) was recently approved by consensus at the first meeting at the CoSP 11th session on 12 June in New York.
What this means is that Speech Pathology Australia can send delegations to the CRPD Conference of State Parties and participate in UN meetings and the Civil Society forum concerning the implementation of the Convention. The Association can now also host a side event at future CRPD Conferences of States Parties. Such a proposition has been under active consideration by the International Communication Project, as well as the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Australian Human Rights Commission.
It is pleasing that the RCSLT has also just been granted accreditation status, providing further support for possible future ICP activities to promote communication as a human right. Additionally, the Association is aiming to apply for Consultative Status with United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, which will provide further opportunities for consultation at this global level.
Gail Mulcair Chief Executive Officer

Speech Pathology Australia's support for communication as a human right

Gaenor Dixon (President, SPA), Gail Mulcair (CEO, SPA), Prof Kirrie Ballard (Editor, IJSLP), Prof Sharynne McLeod (Guest Editor, IJSLP). Photo credit: Louise Hutchinson

At the Speech Pathology Australia (SPA) National Conference we celebrated the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, focusing on communication as a human right. The photograph of the audience showing their support for communication rights is below. I was the editor of the special issue of the International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology (volume 20, issue 1) that contains 31 open access papers discussing communication as a human right is available here. The foreword is written by Alastair McEwan (Australian Disability Discrimination Commissioner) and Ed Santow (Australian Human Rights Commissioner) and is titled "The importance of the human right to communication".

Speech Pathology Australia delegates celebrating 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and communication as a human right (Article 19). Photo credit: Louise Hutchinson

Authors and editors of the special issue of IJSLP celebrating communication as a human right L-R: A/Prof Jane McCormack, Prof Sharynne McLeod (Guest Editor, IJSLP), Gail Mulcair (CEO, SPA), Hayley Tancredi, Prof Kirrie Ballard (Editor, IJSLP), Prof Bronwyn Hemsley, Prof Lindy McAllister, A/Prof Deborah Hersh, Dr Bea Staley. Photo credit: Louise Hutchinson

Natalie Davall (Taylor & Francis), A/Prof Anne Whitworth (Editor, IJSLP), Prof Kirrie Ballard (Editor, IJSLP), Prof Sharynne McLeod (Guest Editor, IJSLP), A/Prof Deborah Hersh (author), Hayley Tancredi (author). Photo credit: Louise Hutchinson