Downpatrick man Ryan Walsh is definitely in the frame. He was a participant in the My Journey My Voice project which highlights communication difficulty.
The 32-year old who has communications difficulties, took part in the photographic project and enjoyed a portait session which led to a collection of images shown in the exhibition, which features nine portraits of people with communication difficulties by local photographer Laurence Gibson.
This collaborative project was commissioned by The Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT) as part of its Giving Voice campaign and is supported by Disability Action and the Northern Ireland Health and Social Care Board.
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Downpatrick man Ryan Walsh, centre, with his father Noel. left, and South Down MLA Sean Rogers pictured at Parliament Buildings at Stormont during the launch of My Journey My Voice.[/caption]
Ryan has learning disability which has been present since birth and has a severe communication impairment which affects all aspects of his daily life. His learning disability has affected his ability to speak, to understand language, to understand complex information, to learn new skills and to cope independently.
Noel Walsh, Ryan’s father explained: “He really enjoyed this photography experience. One of his enjoyments is coming out for a run in the car  around the Lecale to different spots and he takes photos on his phone.
“Ryan can’t speak but can communicate and he has a Facebook page with many friends who are supportive. He really enjoys this in the evenings when he comes home from his day at Mountview care centre in Downpatrick which he attends five days a week from 9.30am to 3.3.0pm. There he enjoys pottery, arts and crafts, visits to the Scout Hall in Downpatrick where they do some exercises and sport, and he loves being on the computer.
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Ryan Walsh with his speech and language therapist, Louise Gribben. [/caption]
“His day tends to be quite structured. One of his favourite nights out is to go to the darts locally. He loves that. He does not like to get bored.
“I’m delighted that he got so much out of the photography project.
Junior Ministers Emma Pengelly and Jennifer McCann launched the multimedia portraits and stories exhibition at Stormont in the Long Hall to raise awareness of communication disability. (Dunmurry’s Oliva Curran and Lisburn’s George Lilley were also participants in the exhibition.)
The participants featured in the exhibition each have a communication disability. Visitors will be able to view their portraits and listen to their voices as they each recount a memorable journey they have taken. Their stories will resonate with many: they include a once-in-a-lifetime holiday, the first day of a new job; and a sunny day at the beach with an ice cream.
Due to their disability, many of those participating have voices and speech that will sound different to listeners. Some use vocalisations which may be unintelligible to anyone other than close family. Others use alternative or augmentative forms of communication (AAC) such as signs and or symbols and others use communication devices that produce electronic speech.
Viewing the portraits and listening to the voice recordings will enable anyone who experiences the exhibition (either online or in person) to have a greater insight into the nature and impact of communication disabilities.
The booklet and website also provide useful links to additional information sources:
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