New communication tools support inclusive participation in community spaces
Lincoln ON – (April 26, 2023) – Members of Council joined local children yesterday to unveil the first of two new communication board installations in Lincoln parks. In partnership with Niagara Children’s Centre, boards are being installed in Beamsville at Angelina Macri Prokich Park (5045 Connor Dr.) and Rotary Park (5020 Serena Dr.) in spring 2023 to support use of park and playground amenities by persons with communication challenges including those with disabilities, early learners and newcomers to the community.
A communication board is an Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) tool that displays photos, symbols, or illustrations to help people with limited language skills and/or communication abilities to express themselves. The user can point, gesture towards, or stare/blink at images to communicate with others. Support persons/caregivers can also point to the symbols to help a person with communication challenges understand a spoken message.
“The Town is committed to ensuring the provision of accessible services for all residents while respecting the principles of independence, dignity, integration and equity,” said Town of Lincoln Mayor Sandra Easton. “Providing communication boards removes barriers for interaction in public settings and promotes awareness, socialization, inclusion, learning and social-emotional growth for all”.
Communication boards can assist with encouraging increased participation by people with complex communication needs, while promoting inclusive play at parks. Additionally, they assist support persons and caregivers by making parks safe and welcoming environments that are non-threatening and that can be accessed by all people.
“Everyday interactions at schools, businesses and places of leisure become easier for individuals who rely on alternative forms of communication when there is a feeling of acceptance in the community,” said Ward 2 Councillor JD Pachereva. “People who are just recognizing the power of using AAC tools will soon learn that symbolic communication is valued by a community and completion of this project is an important step toward understanding and acceptance.”
Both communication boards were custom designed by Town staff and the Niagara Children’s Centre’s Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) team and with support from Tobii Dynavox who provided free licensing to use their trademarked products to develop the boards. Both of the new boards feature:
- 50-symbols/images including those representing the most commonly used words, park-specific activities, alphabet and number sets;
- Instructions for caregivers about how to use the board effectively; and
- A scannable QR code for use by a text to speech reader, to describe the board’s intended purpose.
“We are pleased to be involved in this important community project in Lincoln that promotes inclusivity in everyday life,” said Oksana Fisher, CEO, Niagara Children’s Centre. “Increasing awareness of the use of AAC tools in the community is of benefit to not only to the children we serve but to the entire community,” added Fisher.
To develop the boards, Town staff engaged with and took direction from experts including speech language pathologists and persons with disabilities as well as those who work and advocate for them, including professional staff and family caregivers.
“Parks should be enjoyed by everyone of all abilities,” said Bryan Hermans, a Lincoln resident and father of Jacob, age 8. “Tools like communication boards are incredibly important for so many people, not just children, who are unable to express themselves verbally, and it’s great to see them in Lincoln”.
Communication boards are designed with inclusion in mind, providing easy, convenient access to the most common words used to communicate across multiple settings. Town staff have submitted multiple funding applications in hopes of receiving future funding to support play communication boards across the remainder of Lincoln’s multiple playspaces beyond these initial installations; making them a standard park element.
Lincoln resident Melody Schulenberg has two children Easton, age 4 and Zeke, age 2 who use ACC tools to help them be successful in everyday life. “AAC tools help my two youngest boys communicate their wants and needs to us. Seeing communication boards installed in Lincoln parks brings me great joy in knowing that these are now public spaces that will support a positive community experience for my children when visiting. I hope these boards help other parents to see the beauty and power of giving your child a voice through AAC”.
To learn more about Alternative and Augmentative Communication tools and services that are available, please call Niagara Children’s Centre at 1-800-896-5496 or visit them online at niagarachildrenscentre.com
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For information, please contact:
Liliana Busnello, Manager of Corporate Communications
Town of Lincoln
905-563-2799 ext. 230
Michael Morrison, Marketing and Communications Officer
Niagara Children’s Centre
905-688-3550 ext. 260
Project Background: What is a communication board?
Communication between someone who is non-verbal and someone who uses spoken language can be difficult. Communication boards assist by providing simple, recognizable images and symbols to help users express their immediate needs and preferences. Communication boards assist with increasing autonomy, positive social interactions and allow users to make decisions about their own lives to communicate their needs and desires to others more effectively. People may use communication boards to ask questions, express wants and needs, and make comments. .
Communication boards can also provide a way to learn and practice more advanced communication skills as well as keeping users safe by giving them a means to tell others what is happening in their world. The benefits of communication boards include social-emotional development, language and cognitive development, independence, and enhanced relationships with others.
Lincoln residents, members of Council and representatives from Niagara Children's Centre at the recently installed Play Communication Board in Angelina Macri Prokich Park.