Severe Communication Disabilities In South Africa: Challenges And Enablers

Persons with severe communication disabilities in South Africa experience many barriers to their inclusion in society. These barriers occur across contexts and within all levels of the individual's family and community life. Congruent with the current models of disability, effective and sustainable communication intervention requires a broad systemic and context-relevant approach that addresses the interaction between individual and environment. This chapter will identify the enablers and barriers to inclusion of people with severe communication disabilities in the South African context within different levels of the ecology. Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) intervention as one method to increase levels of engagement and participation for this group of individuals will be discussed. Reflection on the context-relevant practices and considerations for change across different levels of the ecology to ensure feasible, versatile, and sustainable AAC intervention will be highlighted. These include, but are not limited to, adaptations, the cultural appropriateness of graphic symbols used, the cultural and linguistic competence of the professionals who work with families from diverse backgrounds, as well as availability and provision of technology (in particular speech-generating devices).