Vol. 4 No. 5 Sept/Oct 1996	Previous Issues Subscribe to AT Messenger Download PDF Viewer
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The Communication Bill of Rights...And Then Some

Maureen T. Schweitzer, M.A. CCC/SLP
Coordinator, DATI ATRCs

Communication is a human birthright. In 1992 the National Joint Committee for the Communication Needs for Persons with Severe Disabilities published a very powerful document called the COMMUNICATION BILL OF RIGHTS, which clearly and concisely specifies that every person with a severe communication impairment should have opportunities for successful interaction.

The National Joint Committee was comprised of members from the American-Speech-Language-Hearing Association, the American Occupational Therapy Association, the American Physical Therapy Association, the American Association on Mental Retardation, the Council for Exceptional Children, the Association for Persons with Severe Handicaps, and the United States Society for Augmentative and Alternative Communication. The interdisciplinary composition of this committee unequivocally reflects the importance of communication in aspects of life, making it a responsibility of all disciplines.

Therapists, teachers, and professionals working with individuals having severe impairments should be aware of the ethical and philosophical mandates which are the cornerstone of the Communication Bill of Rights. Any consideration of quality of life issues, whether the environment be educational, vocational, independent living, or recreational, must take into account an individual’s communication skills and needs. All individuals with severe impairments communicate in some fashion. Communication may include some conventional systems (speech or signs) or non-conventional systems (body movements, non-speech sounds and augmentative communication devices). The Joint Committee defines communication as: “any act by which one person gives to, or receives from another person, information about that person’s needs, desires, perceptions, knowledge, or affective states.” Intrinsic to this basic need and right are specific communication rights as outlined in the Communication Bill Of Rights.

Recognizing the rights of individuals with severe communication impairments and the responsibilities of people working with these individuals is the first step in a very important intervention process. Even though these rights are basic, they are holistic and reflect what is needed for individuals receiving services. The Joint Committee states that “it is the responsibility of all persons who interact with the individuals with severe disabilities to recognize the communication acts produced by those individuals and to seek ways to promote the effectiveness of communication by and with those individuals.” There are six very important tenents of best practices in meeting the needs of individuals with severe impairments: (1) communication is a social behavior; (2) effective communication acts can be produced in a variety of modes; (3) appropriate communicative functions are those that are useful in enabling individuals with disabilities to participate productively in interactions with other people; (4) effective intervention must also include efforts to modify the physical and social elements of environments in ways to ensure that these environments will invite, accept, and respond to communicative acts of persons with severe disabilities; (5) effective intervention must fully utilize the naturally occurring interactive contexts (e.g., educational, living, leisure, and work) that are experienced by persons with severe disabilities; and (6) service delivery must involve family members or guardians and professional and paraprofessional personnel.

To be effective in addressing quality of life issues for individuals with severe communication impairments, service providers must accept the challenge of creating a positive communication environment to meet the needs of individuals. This can be achieved by respecting the rights of these individuals. Awareness and acknowledgment of these rights may also lead to more appropriate goal attainment and functional outcomes. The desired outcomes for individuals with severe communication impairments are the development of interactional skills with family and friends and inclusion in life’s activities. Teachers, families, service providers and peers can have an awesome effect upon the progress and participation of an individual with severe communication impairments if support is provided consistently over time. This is not only a challenge but a responsibility as outlined in the Communication Bill of Rights by the National Joint Committee.

For copies of the Guidelines for Meeting the Communication Needs of Persons with Severe Disabilities, please contact your local ATRC. Information about AAC systems and training opportunities are also available through the ATRC in your county.

This article is based on: National Joint Committee for the Communication Needs of Persons With Severe Disabilities (1992). Guidelines for Meeting the Communication Needs of Persons with Severe Disabilities. Asha. 34 (March, Supp 7), 1-8.

Communication Bill of Rights

1. The right to request desired objects, actions, events, and persons, and to express personal preferences, or feelings.
2. The right to be offered choices and alternatives.
3. The right to reject or refuse undesired objects, events or actions, including the right to decline or reject all proffered choices.
4. The right to request, and be given, attention from and interaction with another person.
5. The right to request feedback or information about a state, an object, a person or an event of interest.
6. The right to active treatment and intervention efforts to enable people with severe disabilities to communicate messages in whatever modes and as effectively and efficiently as their specific abilities will allow.
7. The right to have communicative acts acknowledged and responded to, even when the intent of these acts cannot be fulfilled by the responder.
8. The right to have access at all times to any needed augmentative and alternative communication devices, and to have those devices in good working order.
9. The right to environmental contexts, interactions, and opportunities that expect and encourage persons with disabilities to participate as full communicative partners with other people, including peers.
10. The right to be informed about the people, things, and events in one’s immediate environment.
11. The right to be communicated with in a manner that recognizes and acknowledges the inherent dignity of the person being addressed, including the right to be part of communication exchanges about individuals that are conducted in his or her presence.
12. The right to be communicated with in ways that are meaningful, understandable, and culturally and linguistically appropriate.