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Safety for People who use Augmentative Communication

Unfortunately the world we live in is not always safe, secure and predicable. We know all too well, that people with disabilities experience a high risk for abuse and crimes. While we cannot prevent every bad thing that could potentially happen, we can provide individuals with information, strategies and vocabulary about safety that can reduce their risk for victimization and harm.

In 2004 and 2006, ACCPC explored the issue of safety for people who use AAC. With funding from the National Crime Prevention Strategy, we worked with a number of adults who use AAC in Toronto and Hamilton, Ontario. They have all contributed to our understanding of their safety needs and to the resources developed by the project.

Lessons Learned:

• A person who uses AAC has unique safety needs that are defined by many factors such as whether s/he lives in a communal, group home setting or in the community with attendant services; whether s/he has independent mobility or relies on someone to accompany him /her in the community; whether s/he has information about his / her rights, can recognize if and when these are violated, has the personal confidence, vocabulary and communication skills to ask for assistance, be assertive, handle conflicts, make complaints etc.



• Some participants told us that they experience overprotection and a denial of their right to freedom and choice because of concerns for their safety. We, as family members and service providers may be over zealous in our efforts to protect people who use AAC. While we do this with the best of intentions, we can seriously compromise an individual’s independence and dignity and keep them from experiencing the risk of ordinary life. By denying people the right to take reasonable risks, we can in turn, contribute to making them more vulnerable and we can justify not giving them the vocabulary and skills they need to be safe. A delicate balance is required – one that allows for the dignity of risk and the safety of the individual.

Participants felt that they and their families and service providers need information, tools and skills about personal safety.



• Most people who use AAC interact with caregivers or attendants and can have as many as 10 different caregivers a week. The more people providing personal services, the more vulnerable one is for victimization. Safety issues around caregivers and attendants include knowing one’s rights; recognizing abuse and crimes when it occurs; having a sense of privacy and boundaries for one’s body, space and things; having tools and strategies to track money and property; knowing the complaint process and having the confidence to assert oneself.



• People who use AAC and who are independent in the community, need vocabulary and strategies if they get lost, their wheelchair breaks down or if their transportation doesn’t show up. They may need to be able to safely direct a cashier or a bus driver to access their wallet or the bag at the back of their wheelchair. They may need to explore what they can do if approached by a suspicious stranger. They need to know what to do in case of a fire evacuation or a power out. People who carry laptop computers on their trays or in their wheelchair bags need to know how to protect these devices when in public.



• People who use AAC may need support in exploring how to acquire and use cell phones, alarms and safety systems. Some of the participants wanted to know about monitoring systems as they live in settings where staff may have access to their property and space when they are not there. Some participants wanted to know their rights about secretly recording conversations and service routines with staff.



• For most of the participants, privacy was a major issue, while for others the right to privacy was a novel concept. Asserting the right to privacy with family members was a particular concern and generated a great deal of discussion on ways to do this without jeopardizing the relationship. Some participants who use computers to access email and personal documents, wanted to know how to encrypt their files for privacy. Two participants had experienced identity theft and fraud. The participants wanted to share ideas about where they could keep personal things, know about different types of containers, accessible locks or lock up strategies. During the project, a number of participants asked their staff to knock before entering their rooms and although this may seem like a small request to respect their privacy, it was a major accomplishment in terms of self-advocacy.



• The participants who manage their own money, shared ideas about ways they track their expenses with the people who shop on their behalf. This was an eye-opener for some participants who felt the need to ask for receipts but didn’t feel they had the right or the communication skills to do this. Participants wanted to find out how other people carried their money and they wanted to see different types of wallets.



• Most participants reported that “things go missing” in their residences. For some, it is a matter of being unable to physically search for items that may have been misplaced by a staff person. Others suspect that their things are stolen or borrowed and not returned. Being able to communicate about these experiences with peers provided an opportunity for support and offered useful suggestions on ways to keep things safe.



• More than anything, people who use AAC wanted vocabulary to communicate about their experiences and opportunities to role-play and share ideas with others who use AAC and who live in similar settings.



• Participants reported that they liked the combination of group learning via the mediated peer support sessions followed by individual goal setting and customization. We worked closely with facilitators who were identified by each participant and we provided support to them on attaining the participants’ goals.

The participants suggest that families and service providers teach safety skills to children and youth who use AAC. They caution about overestimating or assuming that the person knows about his/her safety. The resources on this website were developed and compiled as part of this project.

We welcome feedback and comments.

To find out about hosting a workshop or training in your area, contact us at accpc@sympatico.ca