Communication disability in Bangladesh: issues and solutions

ABSTRACT Context: The UN declaration of Human Rights (1948) included people's right to be able to communicate. This gave all countries the responsibility to provide services for those with communication disabilities. However Speech Language Therapy (SLT) is largely a Minority (developed) World construction, leaving a question about how SLT could or should be constructed in Majority World (developing) countries. Solutions embedded within their context and culture are needed, rather than reproducing Minority World systems. Bangladesh is a Majority World country with a very large population. It has both issues and potential solutions in common with other Majority World countries, but also unique features of its own. Issues: SLT services in Bangladesh began only 15 years ago. Social, geographic, economic, historical and political barriers mean they are often unavailable or inaccessible to those in need. There is low public awareness of SLT, but if this were to increase it would be faced by inadequate numbers of qualified Speech Language Therapists. There is a rural-urban divide and high amounts of poverty presenting challenges about how to fund such a service equitably. Potential Solutions: The fledgeling SLT profession in Bangladesh has adapted to address local needs, culture, and circumstances, however more solutions are needed. This paper considers ways of raising awareness, improving background information on which to base decisions about distribution and funding of SLT, and taking advantage of a growing number of local tertiary training institutions to provide a solid professional base for SLT services to grow from.