“We need to help self-advocates to communicate”, says Jennifer Borrowman, a self-advocate who uses a device to speak.
Here are some tips from Jennifer for including people with speech devices in your group:
They need the agenda and any questions before the self-advocacy meeting, so that they can pre-program their speech devices. (This might actually be good for all members!)
Make time and give time for a person to voice their opinion. Call on the person or offer the person a chance to speak.
Depending on how many people are in your group, give each person a turn to speak, going around the room, with a gentle time limit for each person so that everyone gets a chance to share.
In a group discussion, give them a heads up that they will be called on next.
Ask yes or no questions.
Pay attention to the person’s body language.
If they have a question or comment in a meeting that wasn’t pre-planned, stop and let the person express it.
Please don’t order someone to use their device. It is up to them if they use it or not. If you can’t understand someone, let them know that you are having a hard time understanding them and that you may need them to use their device to help you understand.