Communication disability in low- and middle-income countries: A call to action

The following manuscript has been accepted for publication:

Marshall, J. E., Wylie, K., McLeod, S., Barrett, H., McAllister, L., Atherton, M., Hettiarachchi, S., Owusu, N. A. (2024, in press May) Communication disability in low- and middle-income countries: A call to action. BMJ Global Health.

Summary: 

• "Communication disability is a common but under-reported and often neglected part of health, rehabilitation and disability services, despite communication being a human right.
• Communication disability has far-reaching impacts throughout life.
• Innovation is required in contexts where services for people with communication disability are limited - particularly low and middle-income countries.
• Local and national governments, funders/commissioners, communication disability experts, universities, non-government organisations, communities, health, social care, rehabilitation services and education sectors all have a role to play in putting communication disability on the global disability/ (re)habilitation agenda.

This paper took many years to write and get published - mostly because it is not easy to distill important research with clarity. I worked on a version while at Manchester Metropolitan University last year. I am very glad it has been accepted and thank Julie Marshall and Karen Wylie for leading this paper.

This work speaks to the World Health Organization's Global report on health equity for persons with disabilities https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240063600

Day 4: Meetings and writing at Manchester Metropolitan University

To continue from Monday's research wellness retreat, today I had 1 hour meetings with 5 staff members to discuss their research and career aspirations. It was a great opportunity to dream about the difference these people will make in the lives of so many people by the time they retire.

MMU Resource Centre

Manchester Metropolitan Universitiy has a fantastic Resource Centre for their students and staff to create, unertake assignments, and enjoy. All the assessments and audio/video equipment was available here to be borrowed as well. Another good idea to bring home.

Manchester bees

Manchester's symbol is the bee.According to the Manchester City Council "The bee denotes Mancunians' hard work ethic and the city being a hive of activity." The bee is known for its link between Manchester and the industrial revolution.

Manchester also is the home of Emmeline Pankhurst, who organised the British suffragette movement and helped women win the right to vote.

Day 3: Graduation at Manchester Metropolitan University

Today was graduation for the students in the Faculty of Health and Education at Manchester Metropolitan University. It was wonderful to celebrate with the students and staff.

MMU Faculty staff

Prof Julie Marshall and Prof Sharynne McLeod

Day 2: Presentations and meetings at Manchester Metropolitan University

Today Prof Julie Marshall and I gave a MMU Communication Disability and Participation research webinar. We presented a hybrid seminar (online and face-to-face) titled "Using the Sustainable Development Goals to advocate for communication and swallowing disability services: Evidence from a special edition of the International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology"

Here is the abstract

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs https://sdgs.un.org/goals) consist of 17 Goals aimed at planet and people and cover many aspects of life on earth. McLeod and Marshall guest edited a Special Issue of the International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, focused on the SDGs and Communication/ Swallowing Disability. Thirty-six papers, by authors from 36 countries, between them addressed all of the SDGs, demonstrating the importance of communication and swallowing to their achievement (open access - https://www.tandfonline.com/toc/iasl20/25/1). In this presentation and workshop the presenters will summarise the SDGs and key learning from this special edition. Participants will be invited to consider the application of the SDGs to their personal and professional lives

Prof Sharynne McLeod and Prof Julie Marshall at MMU

Manchester Metropolitan University

Day 1: Presentations and meetings at Manchester Metropolitan University

I am a Visiting Professor with Manchester Metropolitan University from March 2022 to March 2024. Today was the first time I actually visited the university, with previous work being undertaken online across timezones between Australia and UK.

Today, I presented a 2.5 hour session titled "Maximising the impact of your communication research using a Research Wellness Checklist" that was  aimed at early and mid career researchers. It was great to have people with a range of research experience and knowledge to share their wisdom and insights.

Next I met Dr Julie Wright, Head of Department, Health Professions and discussed MMU's Good to Great Program. A number of years ago I had been invited to be an international mentor/collaborator for Prof Julie Marshall and the outcome from this collaboration was our special issue of the International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology that addressed the Sustainable Development Goals. We are presenting a seminar on this tomorrow. We discussed how the SDGs are important to all universities, including CSU and MMU.

Later this afternoon we met with Professor Saul Becker (new PVC of the Faculty of Health and Education at MMU) https://www.mmu.ac.uk/individual-profile/professor-saul-becker He is establishing a new Institute for Children’s Futures and has had a long-standing relationship with Australia – including discussing policy issues about children as carers with Julia Gillard when she was PM. At the end of the meeting he shared that a new banner was put up in the Faculty building with the following six words: Research | Education | Training | Policy | Practice | Impact I thought that we were well aligned throughout the conversation – but these six words nailed it! I look forward to further conversations with people at MMU.

Faculty of Health and Education's new banner

Walking in the rain with Prof Julie Marshall to MMU

Prof Julie Marshall, PVC Prof Saul Becker, Prof Sharynne McLeod

Prof Julie Marshall, HOD Dr Julie Wright, Prof Sharynne McLeod

Some of the MMU staff who attended today's research seminar

Preparing for a week at Manchester Metropolitan University

 On Sunday I visited my colleague Prof Julie Marshall, and we walked on the spectacular West Pennine Moors discussing the week ahead.

Manchester Metropolitan University Inaugural Professorial Lecture: Professor Julie Marshall

Congratulations to Professor Julie Marshall delivered the Manchester Metropolitan University Inaugural Professorial Lecture for 2022/23 in the Faculty of Health and Education on Wednesday 14 September  (in person and online) https://mmuhealthandedinauguralmarshall.eventbrite.co.uk 

I am currently a Visting Professor at Manchester Metropolitan University (2022-2023) and was Julie's international mentor when she was in the Good to Great Program to support her applying for promotion to professor. Julie and I are guest-editing a special issue of the International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology on the Sustainable Development Goals.

Communication disability - what does it mean to you? 

Abstract: Communication disability occurs when a person’s communication, using spoken, written, signed and/or other nonverbal means, is sufficiently different from others in their community, that it affects their ability to participate in life and their ability to achieve their human rights. In this lecture, Julie will talk about two strands of her work related to people who experience communication disability. The first covers people’s views and understanding of communication development, communication disability and appropriate responses to communication disability. She will report on research on this topic in relation to: people who experience communication disability, family and community members, students and qualified speech and language therapists, and the wider the health and education workforce. The second strand concerns the development of appropriate services and support for people who experience communication disability, in Low- and Middle-Income Countries. She will report on projects in a number of countries. These have involved working with people who experience communication disability themselves, street-connected children, caregivers, speech and language therapists, refugee communities, humanitarian service providers and other key stakeholders. These two strands are inter-connected, particularly through issues of culture and diversity. Key messages will be given for each piece of work. 

Biography: Julie Marshall is Professor of Communication Disability and a Speech and Language Therapist by background. She has worked for 37 years in the UK and internationally, particularly in Africa. She has been at Manchester Metropolitan University for 20 years. Julie researches, teaches and supports service developments that aim to improve life participation for people who experience communication disability. Much of her work has been with under-served groups. Her work has covered a range of topics including people’s knowledge and understanding of communication and communication disability, culture and communication disability, street-connected children, refugees who experience sexual and gender-based violence, Augmentative and Alternative Communication, accessible communication, helping to establish new services, education and training programmes for SLTs, teachers and the health workforce, and supporting UK speech and language therapists to work in Low and Middle-Income countries.