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.

Keywords::

• World Report on Disability
• World Health Organization
• under-served
• Child Talk–What Works
• communication disability
• children
• economic
• social
• cultural
• forms of capital

Acknowledgements

We would like to acknowledge the contributions of other members of the Child Talk–What Works team who have contributed to the discussions that underpin this writing, particularly Dr Julie Marshall.

Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.

Child Talk–What Works presents independent research commissioned by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) under its Programme Grants for Applied Research funding scheme (RP-PG-0109-10073).