Impacts of Communication

Impacts of disability

Wellbeing

We all want to have a good life. We want positive wellbeing and independence.

Communication difficulties can impact a person’s wellbeing. This includes negative impacts on quality of life, standard of living, health, achieving goals in life, relationships, connecting to community, and safety and security.

Read about ways to support people with communication difficulties so they can improve their personal wellbeing.

Listen to Michael B Williams (US video) talk about his personal journey through some key social and technological issues for people with communication disability, especially people who use Alternative or Augmentative Communication (AAC).

 

Impact on quality of life

Quality of life involves:

  • personal relationships
  • social activities
  • making decisions about things that affect you
  • personal hobbies and interests
  • being able to express feeling, ideas and interests, and be understood
  • physical activities that involve other people
  • earning a living
  • asserting your own rights.

All of these need communication. So, people with communication difficulties can experience barriers to many of the things that are part of a good life.

Jarrod

On quality of life for someone with motor-neurone disease

'If you can’t communicate, and you can’t move, it’s not much of a life. So, communication is the most important activity that I can do.’

Impact on independence and autonomy

We all want to have some control over our own lives and to make decisions about things that affect us.

Independence and autonomy are basic human needs.

People with significant communication difficulties can sometimes have limited control over their own lives. They may have limited independence and choice if they cannot say what they want. They may have limited autonomy if they rely on other people speaking for them. 

Listen to Anthony Arnold (US video) talk about his life goals and the role of AAC in having control over his own life. 

Independence and autonomy in communication are vital for personal self-determination.

Dale

Communication advocate and AAC user, on autonomy

‘Your role as a communication partner is only to relay the message, not put your feeling on what's being said. People don’t know what is going on in my brain and should not cut me off or speak for me unless I give permission.’

Learn more

Williams‚ M.B., 2017 How far we‘ve come, how far we’ve got to go: Tales from the AAC trenches 

The Australian Centre on Quality of Life provides a Personal Wellbeing Index scale that contains seven items of satisfaction, each one corresponding to a quality-of-life domain: standard of living, health, achieving in life, relationships, safety, community-connectedness and future security. They provide a range of Personal Wellbeing Index scales, including for adults, school children and people with (intellectual) disability.

Arnold, A., 2021 Four key goals of adult life: The role of AAC in determining self-determination