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Project Updates
October 2003
Speak Up Services in Hamilton:
Speak Up provided educational services to eight AAC users in the Hamilton
area. We worked closely with our partner agency there – March of
Dimes and networked with a number of local sexual health and counseling
services. 17 participants attended a workshop for sexual health educators
and abuse counselors in Hamilton. A list of sexual health and counseling
accessible services in the area has been posted on our site. The AAC user
group has requested to continue to meet with ongoing support from March
of Dimes. Two AAC users attended a leadership training program hosted
by Speak Up in Sept. 2003 and Speak Up has provided start up funds to
support a facilitator for these group meetings until January 2004.
Sudbury Services:
In Sept. 2003, Speak Up initiated its services in Sudbury working closely
with our partner agency - ICAN (formerly Participation Projects –
Sudbury and District). Twenty participants attended a one day workshop
for sexual health educators and counselors in the Sudbury area. Six AAC
users from Sudbury and one AAC user from Sault Ste Marie are currently
attending a four week block of educational sessions on sexuality and safeguarding.
Peer Support Groups:
Speak Up hosted 2 workshops for six AAC users from Toronto and Hamilton.
These workshops focused on ways that AAC users can support a peer group,
how to ensure that everyone has the opportunity and time to communicate,
how to handle difficult situations that may arise, how to use attendant
services/communication facilitators during group discussions etc.
Plans for 2004:
In 2004, Speak Up will be hosting a number of task force committees to
identify issues, define best practices and areas for future research and
development. Task forces will be developed in the following areas and
will have representatives from their respective groups:
- Attendant Service Managers
- Sexual Health Educators
- Abuse Counselors
- Health Care Providers
- Police/Legal Professionals
- Victim Support Workers
- Families of Youth who use AAC
- AAC Service Providers
Speak Up will publish and distribute information developed by these task
forces. Speak Up will be hosting a number of workshops in 2004 –
Please check our educational calendar for details.
Previous Updates
You can read previous updates by clicking on the headings below.
Update - June 2003
Update - January 2003
Update - September 2002
Update - June 2002
Update - March 2002
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