All things not being equal: communication accessibility

Rosalie Martin1

1Chatter Matters Tasmania, Tasmania 

This experiential presentation will give its audience an embodied sense of just how weak ‘weak communication’ skills might be. It will share perspective on the privilege and agency bestowed by strong language and communication skills. It will invite reflection on the ‘other-blindness’ which communication privilege may bring with it. Having established this shared meaning, it will turn to insights for improving communication in formal, complex contexts. These insights will fall into two areas: ways of being – manner of engagement, empathy, listening; technical strategies – use of language and questions.


Biography:

Rosalie (Rosie) is a criminologist, a facilitator of reflective dialogue with the Center for Courage & Renewal, and a speech pathologist with 35 years of clinical experience.

She founded the charity Chatter Matters Tasmania to support communication and positive relatedness within settings of disadvantage.

In 2017 Rosie was awarded Tasmanian Australian of the Year for the work she began at Tasmania’s Risdon Prison: the Just Sentences literacy pilot project and the Just Time parent-child attachment program.

Rosie also works in her state-wide private speech pathology practice, runs regular reflective dialogue events, and speaks at conferences and workshops on the topics of communication, connection, and their relationship to justice.

Rosie is interested in kindness in evidence-based service delivery, the attainability of #100PercentLiteracy, and in increasing understanding that warm connection is the basis of all learning, inclusion, positive progress and transformation.

ABOUT COAT

The COAT is intended to facilitate liaison and discussion between the heads of tribunals. It will support the development of best practice models and model procedural rules, standards of behaviour and conduct for members and increased capacity for training and support for members.