Making it easier for people with brain damage in Windsor

A University of Windsor professor is trying to make life a little easier for about 1,500 local people who have a condition called aphasia.

Aphasics are people who have difficulty communicating because of brain damage. Some have trouble speaking, while others find it difficult to understand what some people are saying.

Psychology professor Lori Buchanan and a team of student volunteers are working to make Windsor-Essex as "aphasia friendly" as they can.

They're going around to retirement homes and businesses, giving staff free tips on how to communicate.

She said some Tim Hortons franchises are even taking part.

"I would say, 'Would you like a coffee? Would you like cream with your coffee? Would you like a sandwich?' I wouldn't ask, 'What would you like?' What would you like? is too open a question, so you start out with closed questions, short sentences and you speak slowly," said Buchanan.

Buchanan'sbrotherdeveloped aphasia after a stroke when he was 31-years-old. He can only say 10 words. Buchananwas a grad student at the time of his diagnoses. Shedeveloped a passion for researching the condition.

"You want to make sure that you're not yelling. These people aren't deaf, and they're not stupid, so we don't talk down to them. This is a big frustration that people have."