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Abstract
'Quality of life (QOL)', although an underlying goal of rehabilitation for people with disabilities, has been largely overlooked in the management of communication-disabled populations. It is likely that QOL has received so little attention in speech pathology and audiology because of the many difficulties that arise in determining which aspects of QOL are appropriate for assessment and intervention, and in determining how to undertake this process in client populations with communication disabilities. It is proposed that the root of these difficulties is the absence of an established conceptual and empirical relationship between communication and QOL. This position must be remedied so that logical and organized research into QOL measurement in communication-disabled populations may be undertaken. This paper is presented in the form of a critical review of the quality-of-life literature in both the general field of health, and the specific fields of speech pathology and audiology. A framework is proposed through which the impact of communication disabilities on QOL may be conceived. The framework can also be used to identify target variables for assessment and intervention, and to assist in the choice of QOL instruments. The difficulties incurred with QOL measurement in communication-disabled populations are discussed, and several specific recommendations are made concerning future QOL research and clinical practice in speech pathology and audiology.
