Presentation at the AGOSCI conference in Adelaide (March 2025)
Our first presentation on our Ghana AAC implementation project at the AGOSCI conference in Adelaide on March the 15th. We discussed the used project methods and some challenges we encountered. The first results will be presented at the SPA conference in June!
15 devices for Ghanaian individuals with communication support needs shipped (March 2025)
Bridge Assistive has shipped the first 15 communication devices for Ghanaian individuals with communication support needs.
During the last year, 11 Ghanaian Speech Language Therapists have been trained in AAC and are now regularly using AAC devices in their practice for assessments and interventions. After successful assessments, therapists can apply for a communication device donation.
We sincerely hope that the use of these communication devices (12 Tobii Dynavox I110 touch devices and three Ablenet Quick Talkers) will significantly add to the communication potential of the 15 receiving children and young adults with communication support needs.
We appreciate the support of the Australian High Commission in Ghana and the School of Biomedical and Allied Health Science at the University of Ghana in the distribution of these devices.
Our first peer-reviewed publication (November 2024)
The protocol of our Ghanaian AAC project has now been published. To download the PDF, please go to the Media tab in this website.
Audiology, Speech and Language Clinic in Ghana (November 2024)
The University of Ghana has now officially opened their 'Audiology and Speech and Language Therapy Clinic' in which they will use our donated AAC devices for AAC interventions and assessments. This will also provide students with the much needed opportunity to get hands-on training in AAC!
First AAC mentoring sessions completed (June 2024)
Meet our Ghanaian AAC mentoring team: Amy, Stacey, Charlene, Loren, Edwina, and Lisa!
After completion of an online AAC course (approximately 8 hours), Ghanaian Speech and Language Therapists (SLTs) are offered three one-hour, individual or small-group, mentoring sessions with Australian Speech Pathologists with extensive experience in AAC. Increasing time intervals between mentoring sessions, allow SLT participants to build up experience and consolidate knowledge regarding AAC assessments and interventions.
Almost all included SLTs have now completed their first mentoring session!
Thanks Amy, Stacey, Charlene, Loren, Edwina, Lisa, and Link Assistive for your support! Together we aim to increase AAC capacity in Ghana!
Official hand-over by the Australian High Commission (March 2024)
Very excited that the AAC kits for our project in Ghana have officially been delivered. In addition, the majority of the participating Ghanaian Speech and Language Therapists have started with their online AAC training course and the first mentoring session is.
Thanks so much to all the people who make this project possible and a special thanks to the Australian High Commission in Ghana for their support with our shipments!
Pilot of Ghanaian AAC project has started (February 2024)
Three speech and language therapists of the department of Audiology, Speech and Language Therapy at the University of Ghana are currently piloting the online AAC training modules and will have their first (of three) mentoring session with a Link Assistive speech pathologist in the first week of March. The other nine community SLTs will start their online education in March.
After the online training, SLTs will be asked to use their AAC kits for client AAC assessments. They can apply for individual AAC device donations using the Bridge Assistive Online Application System.
All AAC kits include access and communication devices (e.g. I-110s). In addition, an I16 eye gaze device has been sent to the University of Ghana to be used for 1) assessments of clients in the University hospital; and 2) education of SLT students. If community SLTs like to trial eye gaze with their clients, they will be able to do this at the AAC University Clinic.
We hope all AAC kits will arrive in Ghana before the end of February!
Shipping of AAC kits to Ghana (January 2024)
The seven AAC kits for our AAC implementation project in Ghana have been shipped: thanks for the huge effort Link Assistive team! A total of 12 Ghanaian Speech and Language Therapists (SLTs) will get direct access to these AAC kits and learn to deliver AAC services in their clinical practice through online learning modules and mentoring sessions.
Pilot study: Feasibility of an AAC implementation approach in Ghana
High-technology AAC solutions are very limited for people with communication support needs in Ghana due to availability, costs, and few skilled professionals. In collaboration with the University of Ghana, Bridge Assistive will evaluate the feasibility of an AAC implementation approach in Ghana over a 6-month follow-up. This will also include the assessment of facilitators and barriers of AAC use in everyday communication.
In this proposed study, registered Ghanaian speech and language therapists (SLTs) will participate in custom designed AAC training and receive AAC assessment kits including multiple electronic AAC devices. Training includes an online training course and three one-hour individual mentoring sessions. SLTs will undertake AAC client assessments as part of routine clinical care following training. In case the assessment is successful, SLTs are asked to use Bridge Assistive’s online donation application system to apply for an electronic communication device.
We will start with the inclusion procedure, i.e. sending out an expression of interest message for Ghanaian SLTs, in November 2023.
Project group: Josephine Ohenewa Bampoe, Karen Wylie, Ewurama Dedea Ampadu Owusu, Amy Litton, Tanja Effing
