WORLD VOICE DAY 2011
Page updated: 6th June 2011
World Voice Day 2011 News - UK and around the world
UK
Bedfordshire
The Speech and Language Therapy Department held a World Voice Day display in the main reception of the Luton and Dunstable Hospital on Friday 15th April. During the display they managed to collect 32 completed surveys to contribute to the international World Voice Day initiative. Speech and Language Therapist Sarah Ginsberg was also interviewed speaking about voice for BBC 3 Counties Radio. The interview was aired on the early morning breakfast show on 16th April, World Voice Day.
Berkshire
On Friday 15th April the Speech and Language Therapist Department set up an information display and public awareness session at Wexham Park Hospital to celebrate World Voice Day. The team collected 24 completed surveys from hospital staff and the visiting public to contribute to the International World Voice Day initiative. The results indicated that 42% of people knew the human body has two vocal cords and 46% of people have experienced hoarseness in the last 12 months. 96% of people rated their voice as "extremely important".
Cardiff
The Speech and Language Therapy Department at the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff have arranged to distribute some of the BVA Occupational Voice leaflets back stage at the Wales Millennium Theatre to provide information to the actors and staff of the theatre. They have also arranged to distribute e-copies of the BVA occupational voice leaflet to the 400 student teachers studying at the University. As a result of this initiative, a possible opportunity has arisen to follow up the leaflets with some talks on preventative voice care in September 2011. They plan to distribute the BVA leaflets at local leisure centres, swimming pools and gymnasiums and to send an e-copy to the Royal Welsh School of Music and Drama. There will be a stand on the concourse of the University Hospital of Wales on Friday 15th April, to give information to the general public and the Speech and Language Therapy team plan to use this opportunity to carry out the WVD survey. Finally, they intend to write an article for a local paper with the help of the University Hospital of Wales press office.
Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service
Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service are planning to promote World Voice Day in conjunction with various training opportunities available to staff. These opportunities include an e-Learning module on Personal Assertiveness, and two interactive Podcasts which encourage individuals to practice assertive techniques. Also available to staff is an electronic Factsheet which provides tips on assertive communication.
Chepstow
The Aneurin Bevan Local Health Board Speech and Language Therapy Service celebrated World Voice Day at Chepstow Community Hospital on Friday, 15th April. Therapists created a stand with displays of promotional material. They provided advice on voice care to the general public and managed to encourage 114 people to complete the international World Voice Day survey.
Derby
Kate Young, Clinical Lead Therapist in Voice at the Royal Derby Hospital, is working on setting up an interview with Capitol FM on the April, 16th for World Voice Day. She has a patient who is a music theatre singer and voice teacher who is prepared to be interviewed about her experience of vocal difficulties and Kate will focus on the importance of healthy voices in the workplace and the work of the BVA. We look forward to hearing whether she is successful in arranging this in due course.
Edinburgh
Moira Little, Lead clinician in Voice, at the Royal Infirmary, Edinburgh had a stall in the hospital mall to celebrate World Voice Day and also the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapy's "Giving Voice" initiative. The students at Queen Margaret's University did the same at the University. Both groups carried out the international World Voice Day survey at these events and managed to send in 51 tally forms to the UK co-ordinator. It appears from the preliminary results that very few people knew how many vocal cords they had but the vast majority rated their voices as extremely important.
Elgin
The SLT dept based in Elgin in Scotland and covering Moray is planning to target libraries to distribute posters/leaflets this year to spread the word about World Voice Day.
Looe
Barry Farley, Singing Teacher, has been invited to run a vocal workshop with the ladies choir, Keltique, on April 16th in Looe, Cornwall. He has decided to use the opportunity to celebrate World Voice Day. BVA leaflets will be distributed on the day and Barry will give a brief talk about the idea of celebrating our wonderful voices and maintaining a healthy voice in the work place. He will then work on "Captain Noah and his Floating Zoo" (by Michael Flanders and Joseph Horovitz) with the choir. Throughout the day he plans to input plenty of vocal teaching and relate it to the piece the choir are singing. He will also explain how the voice works and talk about how much we use it and why it is so important to take care of it. Barry is planning to provide information about where to seek advice if any individuals are worried about their voices and will kindly mention the work of BVA. The Choir has opened the workshop to anyone who might be interested in attending. For further information see info@vocalgroupkeltique.org
Newcastle upon Tyne
Paul Carding, Professor of Speech and Voice Pathology at the Freeman Hospital, has taken up the challenge of the International World Voice Day survey that was recently sent out to BVA members. Paul managed to recruit 45 students to carry out the survey and 150 completed tally sheets are now on their way to the organizers for processing. Paul has commented that "the results were quite fascinating- a remarkable number of people from the general public seem to know so little about the human voice yet almost everyone thought the voice was very important in the modern world!"
Congratulations are due to Paul and his team and I feel sure their work will be much appreciated by the international organising team.
Around the world
Canada
Vaneysa Hansen, Speech Language Pathologist at The Victoria General Hospital, Canada is hoping to put on a voice screening clinic for hospital workers in the week preceding World Voice Day. We have sent Vaneysa a copy of the BVA leaflet on Occupational Voice Disorders so that she can use it as the basis for a Canadian version which she can distribute to hospital workers at the screening clinic. In addition, Vaneysa has also created a 'Rate Your Voice' quiz similar to the Voice-Related Quality of Life Quiz, presented by the American Academy of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery (www.entnet.org). The questionnaire will be sent to all the hospital workers prior to the screening clinic.
A blog for speech pathologists working at the hospitals in Victoria has been set up recently and Vaneysa is hoping to highlight World Voice Day with several blog entries on Vocal Hygiene, GERD, and Occupational Voice disorders. We hope the screening clinic goes well and we look forward to seeing the Canadian version of the Occupational Voice Disorders leaflet once it has been completed.
Dublin, Eire
Voice specialist Speech Therapist Caitriona Munier set up a table with information about voice and displayed the BVA pamphlets at a Health Fair at Dublin City University on April 14th. The Health Fair was organised by the Health and Safety Department of the hospital.
Germany
The Germany based Speech and Language Therapy Service supporting British Forces and their families were this year promoting World Voice Day across bases in Germany. This years' theme of Voice Disorders and the Workplace was particular relevant, as members of the armed forces can often find themselves in an environment where they are exposed to risk factors such as excessive noise, air pollutants, chemicals, dust etc.
An information board set up in the Primary Care Rehabilitation Facility in Paderborn Garrison focussed on many of the risk factors of voice disorders:
- Shouting at work or at sporting events
- Dehydration – especially when deployed or on exercise in hot climates
- Dusty conditions when deployed
- Increase use of alcohol and smoking during recreation
As 20th Armoured Brigade based in Paderborn are due to be deployed in the Autumn, information leaflets and advice from a Speech and Language Therapist have been made available in the department.
Voice workshops have also been carried out in Service Children's Education settings to promote good voice use for children and teaching staff.
Kenya
The Speech and Language Therapy Department at the Aga Khan Hospital in Nairobi took on the international voice survey to celebrate World Voice Day 2011. This meant translating the questions into Kiswahili which proved no mean feat as there are no words for "vocal cords" in Kiswahili. As a result they had to make up words and/or describe these. For example, "kamba ya sauti" which means literally "vocal string" or "mkunjo ya sauti" meaning vocal fold. Several people surveyed felt there should have been a "don't know" response for the number of vocal cords as generally no one knew anything about them. The team managed to collect 49 completed surveys to add in to the BVA contribution to the international voice initiative.
Macau
Ana Margarida Nunes, Assistant Professor in Linguistics, is planning an event to celebrate World Voice Day for the first time at the University of Macau. She has some good contacts with people from the media and has also invited a Speech and Language Therapist from Hong Kong to come and give a workshop on voice production and vocal care. It is especially nice to know that she met this colleague at the BVA event "Choice for Voice" last July. Follow the link to the programme for this event.
Malta
Norma Camilleri, Speech and Language Therapist based in Malta has let us know that she is planning to discuss with the Speech-Language Department and the Association of Speech-Language Pathologists in Malta to see whether it would be possible for them to carry out the international survey. There is a World Voice Day campaign event planned at the main hospital and Norma is hoping that, subject to permission, the survey could be included at this event.
Serbia
The Communication Disorders Care Centre team from ENT & MFS Clinic in Belgrade have joined in the celebration of World Voice Day two years ago. Traditionally, the central feature is an International Symposium. This year, the main topic is 'The Professional Voice'. The Symposium will take place on 15th April in the main hall of the Belgrade medical Faculty. Eight presenters will give presentations on all aspects of professional voice care to about 200 participants (mainly ENT specialists and voice therapists) from all over Serbia and the neighbouring countries.
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