Communication Intermediary Webinars for Speech-Language Pathologists

Communication Intermediary Webinars for Speech-Language Pathologists: Team

Our team members are experienced in either using or providing communication assistance. They will be guiding you through the Communication Assistance course.

Caitlin Buchel

Caitlin is the manager of CDAC’s Communication Intermediary Program. Her intermediary work has involved her with various parts of the Manitoba justice system, both in and out of the courtroom. In particular, she has worked with Legal Aid, the Public Interest Law Centre, the Manitoba Prosecution Service, and Restorative Justice. Through her work as a CI, Caitlin contributes to full and equal access to the justice system, for individuals with communication disabilities.

Barbara Collier

Barbara Collier is a founding member and Executive Director of Communication Disabilities Access Canada (CDAC). She is a Speech-Language Pathologist and Augmentative Communication Clinician with extensive experience working with people who have significant speech, language and communication disabilities. She has worked as a clinician, educator and researcher and has headed up CDAC’s socially innovative projects relating to communication accessibility, human rights and social justice for people with speech, language and communication disabilities. In 2013, Barbara started up communication intermediary services across Canada. She is the primary author of CDAC’s resources and training programs. Barbara is the author of a number of peer reviewed publications and is a frequently invited speaker at national and international conferences. In 2010, Barbara was honoured as a Fellow of the International Society for Augmentative and Alternative Communication. In 2016, on behalf of CDAC, she was awarded the David C. Onley Award for Leadership in Accessibility and in 2019, she was awarded the honors of the Ontario Association of Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists.

Joanna Birenbaum

Joanna Birenbaum is a lawyer in private practice in Toronto, Ontario and adjunct faculty at Osgoode Hall Law School. Joanna has extensive experience and expertise in constitutional and statutory human rights and access to justice, as well as sexual assault law. She has appeared at all levels of court, including the Supreme Court of Canada. Joanna was counsel for the DisAbled Women’s Network Canada and LEAF in R. v. D.A.I. 2012 SCC 5 (involving the rights of witnesses with disabilities to testify without discriminatory legal barriers) and for the Canadian Association for Community Living in R. v. Nur 2015 SCC 15, (on the impact of mandatory minimum sentences on persons with intellectual or developmental disabilities). Joanna was a 2014-2015 McMurtry Fellow at Osgoode Hall Law School engaged in a project focused on violence against women. She has taught Law, Gender and Equality at Osgoode and currently co-directs a clinical program on feminist legal advocacy in partnership with the Barbra Schlifer Commemorative Clinic. Joanna has published in the areas of sexual assault law and equality rights and has worked on a number of projects with Communication Disabilities Access Canada.

Elyse Shumway

Elyse is a Speech-Language Pathologist and provides input on communication access to justice for people with acquired disabilities.

Participants in Video Scenes

Jason Jang

I'm Jason Jang, Web Developer for CDAC. I have over a decade of experience in web and software. I am also a musician, taco chef, and student of chinese medicine. I'm happy my efforts with CDAC will provide help to so many.