A Charles Sturt University Australia academic has created a unique book for health and education students and professionals that explores communication differences in individuals with sensory impairment or loss.
Thirty experts from numerous universities and institutions around the world co-authored chapters in the new book Communication and Sensory Loss: Global Perspectives which was initiated and edited by Adjunct Associate Professor Kathryn (Kate) Crowe (pictured) in the Charles Sturt Faculty of Arts and Education Early Childhood Interdisciplinary Research Group.
Prof Crowe is based in Reykjavik, Iceland, and is also a member of the Charles Sturt Speech-Language-Multilingualism Team.
Prof Crowe said the book is unique because it combines a strength-based approach within the framework of the World Health Organization’s International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health.
“This book goes beyond describing sensory loss to encourage readers to think about sensory loss and communication as part of a biopsychosocial view of health and the intersecting identities of the clients and families that they service.”
“This is an important resource for professionals because it aims to provide any professional who may work with an individual with sensory loss with a perspective on how to think about and adapt their communication to make the interaction as positive and fruitful as possible.”
“Every chapter is co-authored by a person with experience living and/or working in low-resource contexts (Global South/low-income countries) and high-resources contexts (Global North/high income countries),” she said.
“And many of our authors bring their own lived experience of hearing loss/deafness, vision impairment/blindness or deafblindness.”
Communication and Sensory Loss: Global Perspectives is published by Routledge (2024).