'A sense of power': New communication panels offering nonverbal children a chance to interact at city parks
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.
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.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Trudeau promises $1B in loans for child-care providers to expand care centres
The federal government is launching a new loan program to help child-care providers in Canada expand their spaces, and will be extending further student loan forgiveness and training options for early childhood educators, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Thursday.
Spring allergy season has begun. Where is it worse in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
N.B. man wins $64 million from Lotto 6/49
A New Brunswicker will go to bed Thursday night much richer than he was Wednesday after collecting on a winning lottery ticket he let sit on his bedroom dresser for nearly a year.
'Nonsense:' Doug Ford slams lawsuits filed by Ontario school boards against social media platforms
Premier Doug Ford says that lawsuits launched by four Ontario school boards against a trio of social media platforms are “nonsense” and risk becoming a distraction to the work that really matters.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
Multiple bridges in Calgary shut down for police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.
King Charles calls for acts of friendship in first public remarks since Kate's cancer diagnosis
King Charles III gave public remarks for Maundy Thursday, addressing the importance of acts of friendship, following his and Catherine, Princess of Wales’ cancer diagnoses.