Defining communication disability in under-served communities in response to the World Report on Disability

Abstract

The World Report on Disability takes a broad emphasis on disability. In their paper on the implications of this report for speech-language pathology and for people with communication disabilities, Wylie, McAllister, Davidson, and Marshall (2013) emphasize the importance of promoting a broader view of communication disability. This commentary explores the challenges of investigating the epidemiology of communication disability, in particular, the difficulties defining the disability and then measuring it in a valid and reliable manner. The two interpretations are discussed of the concept medically under-served as it relates to speech-language pathology: service availability and service accessibility. Bourdieu's forms of capital were then explored as a way of understanding an individual's perception of capital and how service provision can enhance perceived capital and minimize loss of capital. It is important services are mindful of the variations of capital and engage with communities to facilitate access and increase their perceptions of the value of speech-language pathology (SLP) services. The focus throughout is on pre-school children with communication disability in the context of a program of research in England, called Child Talk-What Works.