Jeff Riley's Speech

Thank-you.

Following the remarks made by all of the speakers before me I am repeatedly reminded of the essential role of communication in our human experience. As we have heard from Cory and Scott today, the ability to speak independently drives all other aspects of their lives. Communication is the key to unlocking their ideas, and realizing their dreams.

Indeed, for centuries people have recognized the importance of communication in our lives. I would like to share a short quote with you. It comes from a man named Publilius Cyrus, a philosopher and writer from Roman times. Writing over 2000 years ago, Publilius stated that: Speech is the mirror of the soul; as a man speaks, so is he.

For millennia the ability to speak has been the defining aspect our humanity, setting us apart from all other creatures on the planet. And as Cory and Scott, and many of our other CAYA clients and families will affirm, communication continues to be the thread that binds the fabric of our lives together

In 2005, we began Communication Assistance for Young Adults, and began delivering devices and services to enable young adults across British Columbia to continue communicating, building their lives as adults, and participating in our society. We built CAYA upon the hard work of committed individuals, families, and professionals in the education system, who brought many of these young people with severe communication disabilities to the threshold of adulthood. With the support of our provincial government, we have been able to ensure that these young people enter adulthood with the essential tool to build a life – the tool of communication.

Today’s announcement means that essential tool will continue to be available well into adulthood, enabling people with severe communication disabilities to continue to speak and participate in the human experience. I would like to offer my sincere thanks to the many people who have helped make CAYA a reality. In particular, I would like to thank Minister Richmond for his leadership and the thoughtful people in Ministry of Employment and Income Assistance for their vision and commitment. As manager of CAYA I can tell you that we look forward to using these funds to ensure that more British Columbians will have access to essential technology for face-to-face human communication.

Thank-you very much!