ANNUAL REPORT 2019/20 Bringing Hope to People with Aphasia Pat Arato, Visionary (1938–2020) About Aphasia Language involves the ability to speak and understand, as well as In Memoriam the ability to read and write. Patricia Arato: founder, visionary Aphasia is a language challenge and mentor It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of related to an injury to the brain, our founder, friend, and mentor, Patricia Ann Arato, at the most commonly stroke. This age of 81. language difficulty masks the fact that people with aphasia are When her husband, the late Oscar Arato, suffered a stroke inherently competent and leads to which left him with aphasia, Pat Arato could find no support an inability to participate in life’s available for this isolating communication disorder. In 1979, conversations and experiences. Pat and a few volunteers began working from her basement to create the Toronto Speech and Stroke Centre – the first Aphasia puts every human independent, community-based resource of its kind. relationship, every life role, and Pat Arato, circa 1979 most daily activities at huge risk. Inspired by beloved stage and screen performer Patricia Neal—also left with aphasia following a stroke—Pat began building what is now the Aphasia Institute, an internationally recognized centre of excellence which in 2019 celebrated its The Aphasia Institute 40th anniversary. Founded in 1979 by Pat Arato (1938 The Aphasia Institute, housing the Pat Arato Aphasia Centre, –2020), the Aphasia Institute is a is Pat’s great legacy in helping people with aphasia learn to Canadian community-based centre communicate in new ways and begin to navigate their lives of excellence, pioneering programs again. Through direct service, education, and research, the and practices which help people with Aphasia Institute has opened up the world for people who aphasia learn how to communicate never imagined they could return to a fulfilling life after in new ways and begin to navigate aphasia. their own lives again. Through direct The impact of Pat’s vision is felt all across the world. As the service, research, education and recipient of the Order of Ontario, Pat’s incredible commitment, training, the Aphasia Institute has devotion, and energy will continue to inspire and inform built an international reputation as what we do today, tomorrow, and for the future. a world leader and educator in aphasia. Our Aphasia Institute family extends condolences to the Founder Pat Arato, with our first client, Arato family. husband Oscar Arato Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care grant furthers Pat Arato’s vision“to — bring hope to people with aphasia and their families” In 2017, the Aphasia Institute received a three-year grant from the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care. The purpose of the grant, which ended in March 2020, was to reduce language barriers and increase access to healthcare services for individuals with aphasia in Ontario, through the provision of new services and products. Over the course of the three years, this grant has enabled the Aphasia Institute to make a difference to people with aphasia and their families by developing and sharing free training and resources with healthcare providers and healthcare leadership across the entire province. Catherine Brookman Executive Leadership, Social Enterprise and Significant grant outcomes include: Program Innovation • The creation of the Aphasia Institute Community Hub, a digital infrastructure which provides links and opportunities for individuals with aphasia, families, healthcare providers, and organizations in Ontario and beyond, to access resources and to connect with and learn from others who care about aphasia • The launch of a short, practical, interactive eLearning Module featuring our evidence-based method – Supported Conversation for Adults with Aphasia (SCATM) • Province-wide distribution of free pictographic resources and tools, including a revised version of our bestselling What is Aphasia? booklet, a searchable database of thousands of downloadable pictographic images, a specialized Gift of Conversation toolkit for speech-language pathologists, and a set of Quality Improvement measures to assist healthcare organizations in monitoring and evaluating language barriers to accessing healthcare services for patients with aphasia Uptake of these offerings has been significant, and moving forward the Aphasia Institute will continue to build on the success of this generous provincial investment as well as embrace new opportunities. Aphasia Strategic Goals 2018 – 2022 RESPECT COMPASSION COLLABORATION CREATIVITY EXCELLENCE 2019/20 Aphasia Institute Changing Times... Board of Directors Much has transpired since the period covered by this report, including the loss of our beloved founder, Pat Arato. Pat singlehandedly changed the lives of thousands of Silvia Gomes Camilla Todesco people living with aphasia – here in Toronto, but also nationally and internationally. Board Chair, Quadravest Member Representative She was truly someone who made a difference! As reflected in our mission state- to the Board Jane Brenneman Gibson ment, Pat’s dream was to give hope to people with aphasia and their families. Past Board Chair, George Kopulos This Annual Report honours her memory as the need for hope has never been Vice Chair Volunteer Representative Silvia Gomes more critical than during the current, unsettling global health pandemic. to the Board Nida Chaudhary March 2020 signaled the end of our successful three-year grant from the Ontario Treasurer/Secretary Hicham El Chazli Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care. Driven by relevant stakeholder input, this PricewaterhouseCoopers Board Director generous funding covered development of new online resources, including a new LLP PricewaterhouseCoopers eLearning module, upgrades of other online resources, and the ability to offer free LLP training and selected resources to individual care providers, healthcare organizations, John Gayle and the provincial healthcare system. We have used this opportunity to serve Chair of Governance Housseyn Belaiouer our province and its citizens by providing internationally recognized resources and and Nominations Board Director training at a system wide level to the greatest extent in the history of the Aphasia Office of the Information Compute Canada Institute. and Privacy Commissioner Aura Kagan of Ontario Peter Blakely One of the most exciting new developments as part of the above grant is the Aphasia Board Director Institute Community Hub. This digital platform will serve as a resource and way to connect for members PWB Inc., LLP of our local aphasia community and beyond, and epitomizes our commitment to longer-term sustainability. As just one example, our trainees will now be able to interact with each other post-training, participate in forums for ongoing support, and have access to new methods and resources as they are developed. Executive Leadership This report provides highlights of the accomplishments of the Aphasia Institute in our three main focus areas: Direct Service; Education and Training; and Research and Development. As always, what we have Aura Kagan, Ph.D. Rochelle Executive Director Cohen-Schneider achieved has only been possible through the dedication of staff, hundreds of volunteers, and our ‘teachers’ – Director of Education M.Ed. Reg. CASLPO clients with aphasia and their families. We are especially grateful to you – our donors and partners. In these and Applied Research Director, Clinical and uncertain times, your support and confidence in our ability to make a difference and continue the legacy Educational Services (SLP) of Pat Arato means more than ever. Maria Martinez Director, Finance Catherine Brookman, and Operations Ed.D. Executive Leadership, Social Enterprise and Program Innovation Silvia Gomes, Board Chair Aura Kagan, Ph.D., Executive Director PEOPLE LIVING SUCCESSFULLY WITH APHASIA We always strive to improve and enhance our program offerings by soliciting feedback from our clients through town halls, the Program registration process, and focus groups. It is from our client feedback that we create or enhance our programs. Key Direct Service highlights include: COVID—19 Support One thing we could not have anticipated as our 2019-20 fiscal year was coming to a close was a global pandemic which would shut down our borders, sequester us in our own small bubbles, and change the entire world as well as our Aphasia Institute community. While we acted swiftly, closing our physical space to prevent any danger to our vulnerable population, it was absolutely essential that we continue to maintain vital communication support for our clients. For while COVID—19 quickly taught the rest of us what social isolation felt like, our clients already lived with aphasia-imposed social isolation on a daily basis. They still needed our help. Some of our immediate actions included: • Pivoting to providing as many programs as possible online • Daily monitoring and reporting of government and other institutional health information • Regular communication with clients, family members, and volunteers – particularly those who needed regular contact the most • A Facebook group which provided a forum for our clients to connect with one another • The creation of an aphasia-friendly brochure which could provide vital Coronavirus protocols, which we shared with other institutions for free Family Communicator “I knew [opening the Centre] was The Family Communicator is an e-newsletter a good idea – a community