Symbol communicating access for all

Editorial and photography: Danielle Ford

Walking into a police station to report a crime can be an intimidating experience for anyone, but for people with a communication disability it can be even more daunting.

Officers at Box Hill Police Station spent the past two years undergoing communication access training with disability service Scope to ensure everyone in the community feels safe and comfortable when entering the station.

“Our officers put a lot of time into creating communication tools they can use when people with a communication disability come in to the station,” Box Hill Senior Sergeant Ronald Sinclair said.

“They spent time training with Scope staff, who have communication disabilities themselves, to learn what needed to be implemented to make the station more accessible.”

This training culminated in Box Hill becoming the first police station in Australia to be awarded the nationally-recognised Communication Access Symbol.

The symbol, presented by Scope in August, shows the public that station staff are trained and equipped to communicate effectively.

Communication disabilities can arise if a person has a health condition or other disability that affects their speech, language, listening, understanding, reading, writing, or social skills.

They can be lifelong, as for people with cerebral palsy or intellectual disability, or acquired, as for people with stroke and aphasia, motor neurone disease, or traumatic brain injury.

Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton attended a special event at the station to accept the accreditation on behalf of Victoria Police.

CCP Graham Ashton (back left) joined officers from Box Hill Police Station and Scope staff to accept the Communication Access Symbol accreditation.

Sen Sgt Sinclair said he was proud the station was Australia’s first law enforcement agency to be involved in the project.

“We hope this symbol offers confidence to anyone who walks into our police station that they will receive fair and equal access to our services,” he said.

“Officers have worked hard to earn this recognition, participating in tailored training sessions, and speaking openly and genuinely to trainers with lived experiences.”

Police from the station who participated in the training now wear a communication access pin, which helps identify officers with the skills and strategies to communicate effectively with people who have a communication disability.

Geelong Police Station was also given the accreditation in October after officers there successfully completed the training.