Trillium Grant Recipient / Project Sponsor

The Anne Johnston Health Station

Brenda McNeil, Executive Director

Project Coordinator / AAC Consultant

Barbara Collier

Barbara has worked for over 25 years in augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) as a speech language pathologist with The Hugh MacMillan Rehabilitation Centre and as director of the Adult Adaptive Communication Service.  In 1997, she was senior consultant of AAC Service Development and Training with the Ontario Ministry of Health’s Assistive Devices Program.  Barbara has presented many papers, courses and workshops on a range of AAC issues.  She is an invited speaker at national and international conferences and is the recipient of a number of service awards for her work in the field of AAC.  She is the author of: “See What We Say – Situational Vocabulary for Adults who use AAC”, “Communicating Matters: A Videotape Training Guide for Personal Attendants Working with Consumers Who Have Enhanced Communication Needs” and “Communicate” a communication software module and Home Study Guide for adults. Barbara is a faculty member of the National Academy for Equal Justice for people with developmental disabilities.

Evaluator

Donna McGhie-Richmond, Ph.D.

Donna is an instructor in Special Education and Adaptive Instruction at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, The University of Toronto. Her special education experience spans 20 years. She has worked as a consultant in the field of AAC at the Bloorview MacMillan Centre for the past 12 years.  She has conducted and participated in a number of research projects related to teaching students who have exceptional learning needs. She has presented at national and international conferences and has developed numerous workshops for parents, educators, and other professionals.

AAC User Educator
Toronto, 2002

Tony Diamanti

Tony uses Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC). He is a writer and is involved with various groups for the awareness, needs, and rights of all people who use augmentative and alternative communication.  He is a member of the Advocacy Group for People who use Augmentative and Alternative Communication in Toronto.  Tony has presented and facilitated a number of training programs for AAC users on issues relating to communicating with personal attendants, sexuality and relationships.  He has worked with the Ontario Federation for Cerebral Palsy, The Anne Johnson Health station and Harmony Place Support Services in Toronto.

Sexual Health Educator

Jake Pyne

Jake has provided sex education in high schools and special needs classrooms for people with and without disabilities.  He has experience in sexual violence crisis response and has worked in the disability community as an attendant.

Sexual Health Educator

Fran Odette

Fran is Coordinator of the Access and Education Project: Preventing Violence against women with disabilities and deaf women at Education Wife Assault. She is a trainer/educator on issues impacting women with disabilities on issues such as violence, access to services, sexuality and body image. Previously, Fran was the program coordinator of SexAbility: A joint program of Planned Parenthood of Toronto and the Anne Johnston Health Station.

Peer Support Group Facilitator

Lucy Nyman

Lucy is a health promoter at the Anne Johnston Health Station.  Through her experience as a woman with a disability, she provides individual and group support to people with disabilities.  She has worked with people who use AAC for over 2 years.

AAC User Advisor

Aaron Shelbourne

Aaron uses AAC and attends Seneca College in Toronto.

Social Worker

Nancy Martin

Nancy is a registered social worker who has over 15 years experience in a variety of settings providing supportive counseling and in-depth psychotherapy with individuals and groups. Her primary specialization has been in the area of trauma (physical, emotional and sexual abuse and assault in childhood and adulthood), particularly in the lives of children, women and people with disability. Nancy is currently working as a community development worker and counsellor at the Anne Johnston Health Station, a community health centre in Toronto servicing youth, seniors and people with physical disabilities.

Personal Support Network Facilitator
Toronto, 2002

Antonella Paolicelli

Antonella has a social service worker diploma and has worked with people who use AAC for over 3 years.

Workshop Presenter: Personal Support Network
Toronto, 2002

Judith Snow

Judith is a social inventor and an advocate for inclusion - communities that welcome the participation of a wide variety of people. She consults and does workshops on person-centred planning, personal assistance, support circle building, family support and inclusive education. Her goal is to foster an understanding of how people with disabilities can be full participants in communities everywhere. Judith does this work out of a background of being labelled disabled herself.

AAC User Educator
Toronto, 2002

Lynda McQuillin

Lynda uses augmentative and alternative communication. She has used attendant services for over 20 years and is interested in supporting people who use AAC in reducing their risk of abuse.

Area Facilitator - Toronto

Vicky Shelep

Vicky, AJHS, provides office administration support to the Speak Up team.

Area Facilitator - Hamilton

Pam Gaudet

Pam is an independent living resource worker with Ontario March of Dimes, South Central Region, Hamilton, Ontario. She provides a range of services for people with disabilities in that area.

Peer Support
Group Facilitator - Hamilton

Lindsey Reiss

Communication Facilitator(s) - Hamilton

Lindsey Reiss and Bev Chow

Area Facilitators - ICAN (Independence Centre and Network) -
Sudbury

Valerie Scarfone - Executive Director

Diana Demery-Hepinstall - Recreationist/Coordinator of Volunteers

Mark Hurley - Health Services Coordinator

Carmen Sampson - Independent Living Assistant II

Webmaster and Technologist

Paul Janzen

Paul is an Assistive Technology Consultant who has worked for almost 10 years in the field of AAC technologies.

Website Designer and Website Consultant

Murray Richmond

Murray is an e-learning consultant with over 25 years of experience in designing and developing a wide range of information, education and training applications.