Two days ago, I was honored to be the guest speaker at Daytona State College's Out of the Darkness Suicide Prevention Walk. With approximately 100 people in attendance, we began the event inside of a large stadium type auditorium which had audio/visual equipment to help with the presentation. In my previous Suicide Prevention presentations, I had always made sure there was an available computer to utilize for Powerpoint slides and I would ask about the length of time provided for the presentation. I never had to worry about asking if a stage was accessible by wheelchair.
I am learning that I now have to check about wheelchair accessibility prior to my presentation. Although, in this instance, we would not have been provided an alternate location. I did the best that I could with the facility and it was an eye opening experience to me how much more I have to put into my message to compensate for the environmental and nonverbal limitations.
According to McKay, Davis & Fanning (2009), a message is impacted by many variables. The speaker can completely change the meaning behind the message by their facial expressions, posture, movements or lack thereof, intonation, inflection, and changes in rate or speech. The words and the nonverbal cues can be contradictory and cause confusion in the audience about the intent of the message. Knowing this helped me prepare for my presentation Friday night.
In the past, I have been an audience member for presentations delivered about suicide prevention. Some people come in with a very somber demeanor which is somewhat appropriate when around grieving families. They then speak about how much the community needs to work together and make changes in society about mental health stigma. Yet, their words are completely without passion and it left me with a feeling of wondering how far this individual would go in making changes when they were unable to motivate me through their message. Being a very passionate mental health advocate, it doesn't take very much to motivate me. To know that the opportunities are there to have people make changes and really leave an impression on the audience and then have those opportunities lost due to a poorly executed delivery of a profound message really motivates me to deliver a message of hope that is not lost on the audience.
So how did I attempt to execute a successful delivery on Friday?
To compensate for the postural limitations where my condition requires me to lay back or slouch, I ensured that my words were delivered with a very firm and heartfelt tone. I included hand gestures that let people know I was still lively and had energy behind the message even if I couldn't sit all the way upright. The proximity and use of space was an issue, as I was required to be in the middle of the room off to the left side of the stage, since there were only stairs down to the front of the room and then stairs up to the stage. Yet, the audience was willing to work with me and they were able to turn their chairs to see me as I spoke. A nice part of this was that I had a slideshow playing simultaneously so as to direct attention to the front of the room and I could focus more on the words and the variations in my speech.
When the presentation was over, I had many people come up to me and express how they were so thankful they came out to the Suicide Prevention Walk and that they knew God was speaking to them through the message that was delivered. What an honor! I had prayed about delivering this message of hope and perseverance. A message that we who have survived loved ones passing of suicide need to make sure we take care of our own mental health and well being. A message that together we can spread awareness and help others understand the warning signs. The message made it's way to the ears and then to the minds and hearts of the audience that night. I have continued to receive messages from attendees and it is so affirming that no matter what obstacles are placed in the path of being a presenter, with congruency of passion and purpose behind a message, nothing can stop it from being heard.
Mckay, M., Davis, M., & Fanning, P. (2009). Messages: The Communication Skills Book (3rd ed.). New Harbinger Publications.
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