What is a communication charity?

There is often a lot of confusion over what a communication charity is and what it is they provide. There is some things that they have in common, such as:

Help people communicate

It sounds very straightforward, but some don’t realise just how many people there are in the country that are non-verbal or have incoherent speech and simply cannot effectively communicate with those around them. We as humans tend to take communication for granted, as it is something that comes so easily for most of us. By attempting to bridge the gap of communication they can help give people, who wouldn’t normally have one – a voice.

Help people fulfil their wants and needs

Those who cannot communicate successfully will often go with their needs unheard. Using assistive technology non-verbal people can finally say exactly what they need to.

Provide people with a social life

It’s an unfortunate truth that those who live non-verbal lives without AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) can often live in solitude. Without the ability to make conversation, making and keeping friends can be very hard. With communication devices such as the Lightwriter or a Grid Pad, they can not only talk to the people in front of them but call, text and email remotely using the communication software built within these devices. Making it so much easier to keep in contact with friends and maintaining a social life.

Help people learn

Most schools do not have the budget to provide non-verbal children with AAC devices. When provided with the device that they need it can give them the opportunity to learn, grow and develop in the classroom. It allows allows them to interact with teachers and classmates, making valuable connections. This is not only valuable for young children, but also allows adults to seek further education, and pave a path for careers in the future.

Raise awareness

As with any charity, raising awareness is always important. The more people know about what you do and who you help, the more donations you get. And that is especially important when raising money for devices that can cost upwards of thousands of pounds.

Help people to express themselves

The main aim as a communication charity is to help people to see the person not the disability. By helping to provide non-verbal people with communication aids, they are helping them become more independent, and giving them the freedom to be the person they want to be!