FIRST REGIONAL AFRICAN AAC

(Augmentative & Alternative Communication)

CONFERENCE 2004

ISSUES IN DISABILITY: UNHEARD CALLS

www.up.ac.za/academic/caac [2]

23-26 February 2004

Birchwood Executive Hotel, Johannesburg International Airport

FULL DETAILS AND US$ REGISTRATION FORM: [email protected] [3]

This conference, focusing on the children with severe disabilities in Africa, aims to highlight the progress made and the challenges faced in the areas of early childhood intervention, inclusion, human rights and the use of AAC with children who have severe disabilities. It will provide an unprecedented opportunity for individuals with disabilities, parents of children with disabilities, advocacy groups, professionals, policy makers and academics to be involved as planners, presenters and delegates.

COUNTRIES REPRESENTED TO DATE INCLUDE: Australia, Bangladesh, Canada, India, Kenya, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, The Netherlands, UK, USA, Zambia.

SOME KEY ISSUES: AAC in developing contexts; Unrealistic expectations & other fallacies: Dreaming our own expectations; The Culture of AAC: An evolving culture; Disabled children who stopped attending therapy - why did they stop and where are they now? Disabled children living in a peri-urban township: can they access health, welfare and educational services?; The role of the ECD practitioner in early identification and intervention; Communication intervention in rural contexts: Where do we start and what should we do?; Including a child with severe disabilities in the neighbourhood school; Communication Liberation; The power of communication; Children living with HIV/AIDs and aided language stimulation; Child, Parents, therapists, school - together we can; Why ISAAC is important to Africa; Passive participant? Not on your life!

UNHEARD VOICES