'A sense of power': New communication panels offering nonverbal children a chance to interact at city parks

Communication panels have been installed in Gocki Park, Regent Park and Les Sherman Park in Regina. (Stefanie Davis / CTV News)

Communication panels have been installed in three Regina parks, offering those who are nonverbal or who are experiencing disabilities an opportunity to interact with others.

The double-sided panels have pictures and words on them representing a variety of feelings and actions. Children can point to the appropriate picture to portray what they wish to communicate.

Nichole Forbes, a speech language pathologist with the Regina Speech Centre, said the boards offer a sense of independence for children.

“It offers a wide variety. It covers their needs but also things that they may want to initiate and implement for play themselves - what they want to do and how they want to use the park,” Forbes said.

“That’s what communication does. It gives our students a sense of power to communicate their needs. That’s what we want to be able to offer our kids who use devices like this.”

The panels are currently installed in Gocki Park, Regent Park and Les Sherman Park.

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The city said a fourth panel is scheduled to be installed in the spring.

“We need accessible equipment all over our city at a variety of different locations, so we’re just excited to see something new come up and be another accessible feature,” Courtney Domoney, a community consultant for social inclusion with the City of Regina, said.

The panels use the Picture Exchange Communication System, which is used for people of all ages with various cognitive, physical and communication disabilities.

Some of the prompts include park features like a slide, swings and ramps.

Others portray feelings like sad, happy and mad, or responses like yes and no.

“The system of pictures that’s used is something that a lot of students or children or adults use to communicate,” Domoney said.

“Instead of them having to carry the system with them at all times, now the system is in place at the parks for them to use.”

The panels were created in partnership with the faculty at St. Maria Faustian School and the Regina Speech Centre.