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Background Information

Do you have clients who have communications disabilities?

More than 350,000 people in Canada have communication disabilities that may affect one or more areas of speaking, understanding, reading and writing. Many people with limited or no speech use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) systems such as devices or letter, picture and symbol displays.

People who use AAC may need legal representation at some time in our lives. They may have a family law issue, have a discrimination case, be involved as a victim, witness or accused in criminal court, want to make a will or write a power of attorney.

Communication Access to Justice:

Effective communication in situations involving legal issues is critical for all of us. Like everyone else, people who use AAC have a right to expect to be able to:

• Communicate their situation, information and legal needs effectively and accurately
• Receive legal information in a way that is accessible for them
• Maintain full authorship of their communication
• Access spoken and print information

The legal community has an obligation to take whatever steps may be necessary to ensure that this happens, because without adequate processes and supports, people who use AAC do not have access to justice.

Clients who use AAC need access services about:

• Human Rights
• Abuse Issues
• Criminal Offences
• Discrimination
• Advocacy
• Inaccessible community services
• Health
• Counseling
• Income
• Trust funds
• Family Law
• Housing

You can learn about the following at this website:

• Communication barriers and supports
• Communicating with clients who use AAC
• Negotiating communication supports
• Using communication assistants
• Recognizing and using techniques that increase communication authenticity
• Recording nonverbal communication
• Giving information in accessible and usable ways
• Connecting with other organizations
• Evaluating your organization's communication accessibility features