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Kilometres for Communication Breakfast and Cycling Send-Off

Holland Bloorview was just one of many stops on Skye Wattie’s cross-Canada cycling journey that started on May 19th in British Columbia. Skye initiated Kilometres for Communication(K4C) - and this coast to coast ride - to raise awareness and give a public voice to communication disabilities and differences and to advocate for the human rights of people, like his older brother Kerr, who live with speech and/or language disabilities.

Friends, family and staff joined Skye for breakfast at Holland Bloorview on Monday, July 4th to celebrate his arrival in his hometown and show their support. Those present at the event had the opportunity to test out different augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices, and even order breakfast using these devices to learn more about how people with speech or language disabilities communicate.

“We need to start seeing people’s abilities instead of their inabilities,” said Skye, who has made it his mission to educate people – friends, strangers and even extended family – on how to interact with people who communicate differently.

While Skye is over halfway through his ride, his mother, Gail Fisher-Taylor, explains that this is just the beginning. She is optimistic that K4C and the communities they are connecting with on their journey will be a catalyst for change because, as she said, “there are a lot more changes that need to be made to make AAC devices more affordable and accessible, in order to create an inclusive environment for people who communicate differently to learn, work, play and socialize in.”  That is why Kilometres for Communication is working to pass a Communication Bill of Rights to increase awareness in businesses, organizations, government groups and accessibility legislators about the rights of people who have speech and/or language disabilities. To read the proposed Bill visit www.communication-access.org and click on “Bill of Rights”.

As both a supporter of K4C and AAC user, Lynda McQuillin is also advocating for change. She wrote the following and attached it to her wheelchair, “the reason I’m here today is because I want things better for the next generation of disabled people like us. If we unite and show ordinary people we have a brain in our head, hopefully people will understand where we are coming from.”

Laurel Robinson, a speech language pathologist, who worked to coordinate this celebratory breakfast stressed the importance of events like these, which Skye is hosting across the country, “to bring awareness to all of the ways people can communication and to allow people without speech or language disabilities to appreciate the patience needed by both the AAC user and their communication partner to complete daily tasks.”  Diane Savage, Senior Director of Participation and Inclusion, echoed this, saying “communication is every person’s right and inclusion is every person’s responsibility.”

As Skye begins his journey eastbound, we would like to thank everyone who came out and showed their support, and give special mention to the staff that joined Skye on a 20 KM cycling send-off!

To support K4C financially, visit: http://www.canadahelps.org/GivingPages/GivingPage.aspx?gpID=13400

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