6 February 2008

Diving Bell and the Butterfly highlights vital need for communication support after stroke

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The release of the film, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, highlights perfectly the vital role of speech and language therapy and communication support for the 150,000 people in the UK who are affected each year by stroke, the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT) says.

Dierctor Julian Schnabel's film portrays the story of magazine editor Jean-Dominique Bauby, who suffered a major stroke at the age of 43. This left him paralysed from head to toe, with his left eye the only functioning physical feature remaining (so-called 'locked-in syndrome').

Unable to communicate, Bauby's speech and language therapist taught him to blink as she ran through the alphabet - helping him to present his thoughts to an outside world he could no longer reach in any other way.

Bauby used this painstaking method to blink out his memoir and describe what it was like not being able to move.

RCSLT Chief Executive Kamini Gadhok says stroke is the main cause of major disability in adults in the UK.

"Every year, an estimated 150,000 people have a stroke. Around a third of them are left with a communication disability. Stroke causes a major impact on the quality of life of people of all ages and is an issue we cannot afford to ignore," she says.

At the end of 2007 the RCSLT carried out a groundbreaking nationwide survey of stroke survivors, asking them about the impact that communication disability has had on their quality of life.

The All Party Parliamentary Groups on Speech and Language Difficulties and Stroke will launch the survey results on 5 March. The RCSLT will use the launch to highlight to Government ministers the essential role of speech and language therapy and communication support, and the way forward to support people after a stroke.

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Notes for editors:

The RCSLT is the professional body for speech and language therapists in the UK and has over 13,000 members. It is responsible for setting, promoting and maintaining high standards in education, clinical practice and ethical conduct. Visit: www.rcslt.org

The RCSLT carried out a nationwide survey of stroke survivors with support from The Stroke Association, Help the Aged, Age Concern and Sue Ryder Care.

To attend the launch or for more information contact RCSLT Communications Manager Steven Harulow, tel: 0207 378 3004, or email: Steven Harulow

For more information contact Steven Harulow, email: steven.harulow@rcslt.org tel: 020 7378 3004