Our Bridges community of communicators began more than 12 years ago. We started meeting regularly in Guelph to share ideas of communication rights, technology and life planning. In 2010 we produced a move and book called In Our Own Words. Here is the film on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JentrBCN7Z8
Some members have moved away from Ontario and it becomes harder for some families to drive long distances. So we have been thinking of other ways to keep Bridges alive and useful. One way is to produce more films and books about why and how we use alternative forms of supported communication. They will show that we are all different in the details of how we are supported. But we all want everyone who needs support to get it. We are concerned that people understand that it is we the communicators who are expressing our own thoughts and words. We hope to interest new people who will train to be communication facilitators. Here is one film showing how the Master Trainer Pascal Cheng worked with me in 2015 to show how new people can start to support us in our typing.
In 2015 we also started the Bridges Communication Group on Facebook on July 1. We post news about communication rights and all forms of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) including Supported Typing. We also can have chats in real time even though we live far from one another. For example, I chat with my Bridges friends Tim in Antigonish NS and Kevin in Petrolia ON. Please let me know if you would to join the Bridges Communication Group.
