Access for All - EENET...slang. Use simple words as far as possible. Technical terms, jargon, abbreviations, acronyms, and other difficult words should be used sparingly. Always describe

Access for All

Helping to make participatory processes accessible

for everyone

practice

guidelines

Contents

Acknowledgements ....................................................................2

A Introduction.............................................................................3Who is accessibility for? ....................................................4Who is responsible for accessibility?.................................5

B What does accessibility mean in practice?.............................6

1 Simple language...................................................................7

2 Written documents ............................................................ 142.1 The printed word ......................................................... 142.2 Braille........................................................................... 182.3 Audio cassettes ........................................................... 212.4 Translating documents into other languages .............. 24

3 Meetings, presentations and discussions ......................... 263.1 Spoken communication ............................................... 27

3.1.1 Clear speech and sign language........................... 273.1.2 Language interpretation ........................................ 30

3.2 Visual communication and visual aids ........................ 343.2.1 Videos.................................................................... 37

3.3 Atmosphere ................................................................. 393.4 Environment and accommodation............................... 42

4 General organisation......................................................... 45

5 Planning and financing...................................................... 46

C Learning from experience.................................................... 48Improving our practice.................................................... 49

D Contacts for further information........................................... 51

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Acknowledgements

This document started as a brief guide for organisersand participants of Save the Children UK’s Global CBRReview and Seminar in March 2000. It has since beendeveloped into a more extensive set of guidelines,thanks to the input and advice of all participants,facilitators and resource people.

Special thanks go to the following people for their ideas,corrections and comments on earlier drafts; AbdulRahim Sattar, Ruth Hansford, Ravi Wickremasinghe,Raya Ushurova, Doreen Woodford. Thanks also to LynJackson for formatting the large print edition.

Ingrid LewisPolicy Officer (Diversity)

SC UK, LondonNovember 2000

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AIntroduction

Many things can prevent people participating indiscussions which affect them or in projects that couldbenefit them. Participation is about being involved in,and contributing to, a process. But an invitation toparticipate remains worthless unless efforts are taken toensure that genuine and significant participation isactually possible. This is where the issue of accessibilitycomes in, because it is about making it possible forpeople to access communications and environments inways that are easy and comfortable and which enableinvolvement and contribution.

This document will draw on the processes we wentthrough during the Global Review of Community-BasedRehabilitation (CBR) and the lessons we learned, toprovide practical guidelines to help others achieve betteraccessed participation in future.

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Who is accessibility for?

• You!

• Accessibility is not just an issue for disabled people. Itmakes participation easier and more effective foreveryone. This includes:

• young people• elderly people• people who speak different languages• people who have different learning styles• people with different levels of experience• people on drug or diet regimes• people with hidden impairments (diabetes,

epilepsy)• pregnant women• parents and carers• and it is for people who have difficulty seeing,

hearing, moving, learning, and/or speaking;whether this is mild or severe, whether or notthey define themselves as disabled, whether ornot their impairment is obvious.

• Large print and audio tapes benefit not just peoplewith visual impairments, but people for whom Englishis not a first language, children and young people,and everyone else.

• Accessible environments (environments withoutphysical barriers) enable parents with young children,elderly people and disabled people to participate.Non-accessible environments are only for an eliteminority of young, fit, non-disabled people withoutchildren!

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• Accessible presentations are lively, varied and clear,providing the maximum learning opportunity foreveryone.

Who is responsible for accessibility?

Everyone – because an inclusive society, in whicheveryone can participate, will only happen if everyone iscommitted and plays their part.

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BWhat does accessibility meanin practice?

There are many ways to improve accessibility. Some,like improving physical access to buildings or producingBraille documents are more obvious, while others –such as creating the right atmosphere and work culture– are less commonly considered. We will look at asmany elements of accessibility as possible in thisdocument, but inevitably we will not be able to covereverything.

You should see these guidelines as a starting point.

• Use them to think through how you could improveaccessibility in your work.

• Use them as a basis to find out more aboutaccessibility.

• Use them to do your bit in developing a moreinclusive society.

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1 Simple language

Key points

Keep documents brief and make sure that thecontent is well organised.

Avoid jargon and too many long words. Use short, simple sentences

because................. not everyone speaks your language as

their first language....... not everyone reads, speaks, writes or

understands things in the same way....... not everyone is able to or wants to pay

attention for a long time....... it takes longer to read and is harder to

browse through a Brailled document.

Sign language is a language in its own right, withregional and local differences, as with spokenlanguages.

Don’t forget about ‘body language’ and facialexpressions – they’re simple but can convey a lot.

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It is important to remember that not everyone will havethe same level of literacy or understanding of language.The level and style of language you use in speech ordocuments will make your message more – or less –accessible and give people more – or less – chance ofparticipating.

Adapting the style of language you use is a simpleand cost-free way of improving accessibility foreveryone.

The table below provides a few examples, it is not adefinitive list. Even though the table has been brokeninto sections, it is important to remember that most ofthe suggestions will apply to all readers and listeners,regardless of their specific needs or impairments.

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Points to remember What you can do toimprove accessibility

For second language speakers

If we present informationin English (or other maininternational languages,eg, French, Spanish), weneed to remember thatour readers or listenersmay not have Englishas their first language.Many people may seemto speak second or thirdlanguages fluently, butthey might not fullyunderstand technicallanguage, jargon orslang.

Use simple words as far aspossible. Technical terms,jargon, abbreviations,acronyms, and other difficultwords should be usedsparingly. Always describethem when they first appearin the text and you may alsoconsider including a glossaryof difficult terms as anappendix.

Be aware of culturallydifferent meanings anduses of some words.

Use words or variations ofwords which you know are incommon usage locally.

Be aware that some words,especially more ‘modern’ones, may not have exacttranslations into otherlanguages (for example,some languages may notmake the precise distinctionsbetween disability andhandicap that English does).

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For people with learning difficulties

Having a learningdifficulty doesn’t meana person cannotunderstand spokenlanguage or cannotread and write.However, they may readmore slowly, understandless of what they read orhear, and be slower orless articulate in theircommunications.

Learning difficulties arenot always severe orobvious, for example,many people aredyslexic. Their learningdifficulties may never beformally ‘diagnosed’ orrecognised, but mayaffect their use andunderstanding oflanguage.

Use short simplesentences – avoid long,complex sentences.

When speaking, try to avoidlong lists or giving severalinstructions at once. Peoplewith learning difficulties mayhave difficulty understanding,remembering or acting uponmore than one instruction orfact at once.

When speaking, clearlyemphasise the wordswhich are most importantfor conveying the meaning ofthe sentence.

For people with visual impairments

The physical nature ofBraille means that ittakes longer to readthan conventionalwritten text, and it isharder to scan through

Keep documents short.Get into the habit ofediting all documents toremove unnecessarywords and phrases.

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selectively. Producingdocuments usingverbose and complexlanguage may, therefore,place a Braille reader ata disadvantage.

Make sure that thecontent is wellorganised. Clearly headpages and new sectionsand produce a contentslist for longer documents.When transcribed intoBraille, this will help thereader access therelevant pages.

For people with hearing impairments

Sign language is alanguage in its ownright, with its owngrammar and syntax. Itis not just a form oftranslated English orother mother tongues.Signers, therefore, mayhave English, etc, astheir second (or third)language andexperience the samechallenges as anyonetrying to read or write ina second language.

When producingdocuments for (or readingitems written by) peoplewho use sign language,consider the suggestionsmade above regardinginformation for people withEnglish, etc, as a secondlanguage.

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Every country, regionor community will haveits own sign languageand dialect, whichevolves like any spokenlanguage.

During meetings withhearing-impairedparticipants, ensure thatyou use a sign languageinterpreter who is familiarwith local sign language,dialect, etc.

You should be awarethat direct translationinto, or from, signlanguage is often notpossible or accurate.

You should aim to conveyor obtain the meaning(rather than an exactword-for-word translation)of the signing, otherwisemisunderstandings caneasily happen.

Some complex wordsor names may have tobe spelt out letter byletter, if there are nostandard signs for them.This can be slow.

During presentations,keep complex wordsand names to aminimum, and providewritten lists of such namesin advance to assist signinterpreters to prepare.

The presenter shouldcheck with thesigner/interpreter that theirpace of speech is not toofast and that they aremaking appropriatepauses to enable signersto keep up.

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You should alsoremember that notevery deaf or hearing-impaired person usessign language, eitherthrough choice orbecause, for example,local education systemsare inadequate.

Lip-reading can often forman important part ofcommunication. Seekadvice from localorganisations of hearing-impaired people to ensurethat you make the most oflip-reading opportunities.

And generally ...

... language is morethan just words.

It may aid communicationto use other methods (eg,non-exaggerated facialexpressions or handmovements). Whenlistening to someone,watch for non-verbalcommunication (oftencalled ‘body-language’) aswell. People with speechimpairments, for example,may use movements toconvey meaning andemphasis they cannot getover verbally. However,be aware that blind andvisually-impairedparticipants may not beable to benefit from theseextra cues, so do not relyon them too much.

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2 Written documents

2.1 The printed word

Legibility of printed material plays a key role in makinginformation accessible. This applies to all documents,from simple memos to published books. By followingthese simple guidelines you can make your workaccessible to people with visual impairments, andgenerally more readable for non-visually-impairedpeople, at no extra cost. It should be something thateveryone in your organisation embraces – not justdisability staff, but everyone who produces anydocument in printed form.

Key points

Consult potential users before producingdocuments.

Consider:print size, weight, font, contrast, case, colour;paragraph style, margins, line spacing,shading;paper quality.

Provide:Braille versions;audiotaped versions;language translations.

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• Type sizeUse font size 12 as a minimum standard wheneverpossible, as fonts of 8-11 points cannot be readclearly by enough readers, especially anyone with avisual impairment.

It is easy to increase font sizes on word-processors orby enlarging a document on a photocopier. Youshould avoid using fonts smaller than 12 points formain text. Font size 14-16 is usually considered ‘largeprint’ and should be used when producing documentsfor visually impaired readers. There is often little pointusing fonts larger than 18-20 points for main text, asany increases in size beyond this will not really be ofbenefit to a visually impaired reader. Do not betempted to use small fonts to make a long documentseem shorter – your reader will be more daunted byillegible print than by an extra few pages.

• FontVisually-impaired readers may find it easier to read‘sans serif’ fonts, such as arial. However, otherreaders may find ‘serif’ fonts (like Times New Roman orGaramond) equally, or more readable. It is probablymore important to worry about the other elements oflegible print, than font type. However; don’t useelaborate fonts, eg, scripts that look like handwriting,and don’t use closely spaced fonts.

• CapitalsAvoid using capital letters for blocks of text (ie, morethan one or two words). Capital letters are visually toosimilar in size and shape for readers to be able toeasily distinguish letters. Reading written words relies

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to some extent on recognising the shape wordsmake, and words written in capitals do not make suchdistinctive shapes.

• ItalicsAvoid large amounts of text in italics, as italic text isalso harder to read.

• Lines and paragraphsAllow adequate spacing between lines andparagraphs. Also, if you are producing a form orquestionnaire, remember to allow extra space for therespondent to write their answers, as visually-impaired people may have larger handwriting.

Line length should ideally be 50-65 characters(including spaces). Blind and partially sighted readersmay prefer even shorter lines than this. Avoid splittingwords at the ends of lines.

If you are using a word-processor, justify the leftmargin, but avoid fully justifying text. Full justificationmay look neater (you get straight margins on bothsides), but it can create irregular spacing betweenwords and letters, making it harder to read or scanthrough the text.

• Colour and paperThink carefully before using coloured lettering orpaper. The stronger the contrast between the writingand the paper, the easier it is to read. The bestcontrasts are black on white or black on yellow. Someof the worst contrasts possible are yellow writing onwhite paper or black writing on dark blue paper.

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Also think carefully before using shaded text boxes.Do not try to put lettering over shading that is morethan 10-20%. If you know readers will be visuallyimpaired, avoid shading altogether. Placing text overphotographs is also not recommended.

Try to avoid ‘reversing-out’ text (eg, white text on ablack background), especially with small font sizes(below 14 points) or with colours which do not have astrong contrast.

‘reversed-out’ text is harder to readthan normal text

Only print on both sides of a sheet of paper if it isthick enough for text not to show through on thereverse.

• LayoutIf you are setting the text into two columns, make surethat the margin between the columns is wide enoughto clearly separate them. If there is not much spacebetween the columns, insert a vertical line.

Avoid fitting (wrapping) text around illustrations, asthis can create irregular line lengths.

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2.2 Braille

What is Braille?

Braille is a form of written communication used by manyblind and visually-impaired people. It is a main way ofturning a written document into an accessible format.

The Braille alphabet

Braille is formed by punching raised dots into paper andis read by feeling the dots with the fingers. The basicalphabet usually remains unchanged, but ‘contractions’(Braille symbols representing abbreviations of words orgroups of letters) may change in different languages.Consequently, you should be wary of simply importingBraille documents from other countries. When providingdocuments in Braille you should be aware that not allreaders will understand the more complex contracted

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Braille. To ensure that all readers will be able to readyour documents, check what type of Braille they prefer.If you cannot afford to produce documents in more thanone level of Braille, you should consider usinguncontracted Braille as your standard.

How can you get documents Brailled?

Transcription services are offered in many countries byorganisations for blind people. Contact your localorganisations to see if they offer advice and services. Inthe UK transcription is usually priced per word or perpage (430 printed words are considered to be anaverage page). There may be extra costs for each pagethat is printed. If you are using uncontracted Braille youwill be printing off more pages, so check pricing policiescarefully.

Photograph by : Ms Vu Hong Chau, SC UK Vietnam

Writing Braille

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With modern technology, Braille documents can easilybe produced using a word-processor and Brailleembosser (printer). However it can be very expensive tobuy your own embosser and Braille transcriptionsoftware.

Transcribers (and blind or visually-impaired people)more usually use Braille machines (often called ‘PerkinsBraillers’) which are like small typewriters with just 6keys to make the 6 dots from which all Braille symbolsare created. Braille can also be ‘handwritten’ using aguide frame and pointed stylus (see photograph above).

If professional transcription services are not available toyou locally, you may be able to find a communitymember (teacher, social worker, parent of a visually-impaired child) who reads and writes Braille who couldundertake some simple transcription work.

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2.3 Audio cassettes

Audio cassettes can be a useful alternative for peoplewho are not able to read (or choose not to use) Braille,or who learn better from listening than reading. Again,many local and national organisations will be able tooffer tape production services. It will also be significantlycheaper to have a document taped than Brailled.

Key points to consider when producing audiocassettes

• Often documents are written to make an impact or beunderstood when they are read (rather than listenedto). What makes an impact verbally will often be verydifferent from what makes an impact visually. Youshould therefore carefully read through any documentyou wish to record, and edit or re-write to ensure thatit will work verbally. An example of where changesmay need to be made is when you have a table ofstatistics. You may need to think carefully about how

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you read out the row and column headings, orwhether it makes more sense to read statistics by rowor column first.

• Ensure that the speaker being recorded is fluent inthe language being used, understands/uses localdialect and has an accent that is easily understood.

• When recording, speak clearly at an even pace, usingclear intonation and emphasising key words. Do notspeak too slowly, it may make it harder to follow whatis being said.

• Do not hold the microphone too close to your mouth,as this can result in distorted sounds. Try not tobreathe heavily into the microphone.

• Allow short pauses in appropriate places, for thelistener to take in what has been said. However, donot repeat sentences or words, the listener canalways use the rewind button if s/he did not hearclearly the first time.

• Read out a clear contents’ list at the start of the tape,providing the section number and title, and if relevant,which side of the cassette the item is on. State clearlywhen there is a new section or question. It may alsohelp the listener to have a brief description of whatfollows the heading, to make selective browsingeasier (eg, “Section 3 – list of key contacts. Therefollows a list of ten names and addresses of usefulorganisations”). Ideally, give each section a number,as it is often easier to remember a number than a titlewhen trying to browse or find a section.

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• If your document will not fit on one side of a cassette,make sure that you split the document in a sensibleplace, ie not mid-paragraph, or just after a sectionheading.

• Ensure there is no extra background noise whichcould be picked up by the microphone.

• Use new cassettes and good quality recordingequipment, as far as possible, to ensure a high qualityrecording.

• If you are holding a meeting, make sure you canprovide visually-impaired participants with cassettemachines on which they can listen to the keydocumentation cassettes. Remember that people withphysical disabilities may find it hard to press buttonson a machine. If you can use cassette machines withlarge, easy-to-use buttons this may help to make yourrecorded information even more accessible.

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2.4 Translating documents into otherlanguages

Why translate?

Documents can be clearly printed and well written insimple words, but if the reader does not understand thelanguage used, then the document is totallyinaccessible. Language translation is an essentialelement to ensure participation by everyone, not justthose who are linguists or who have been lucky enoughto receive a good education in second and thirdlanguages.

Translation should be considered when producing anydocument. It should not be seen as a luxury if otherlanguage speakers are to participate in your process ormeeting. However, before you translate everything,consider carefully how essential each document is andwhether, by not translating, you will be preventingsomeone from participating or carrying out their work.

Reducing translation costs

Translation is often not done, even with essentialdocuments, because of the costs involved. It can bevery expensive and to ensure quality and accuracy youshould have documents translated and proof-read – twoseparate processes with two lots of charges. There areways to reduce the cost of translation. Try to sourcetranslation services locally – it does not have to bearranged by your head office (often situated in citieswhere translation costs may be significantly higher). You

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will need to ensure that you have some basic standardsfor translators to follow, wherever they are based (seeSave the Children UK’s Guidelines for Translation).

Some documents can be summarised beforetranslation, if you cannot afford to translate a largedocument. It means that other language speakers maynot have the same level of participation as the mainlanguage speakers, but it may be considered anacceptable compromise. Remember that a summarydocument will have other uses – you could Braille thesummary rather than the full document; it will be a moreappropriate and accessible document for young peopleor people with learning difficulties and seniormanagement are more likely to read it! So, time investedin preparing a summary document will not be wasted.

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3 Meetings, presentations anddiscussions

Key points

Consult participants before the event to assess everyone’s needs.

Create an open, honest and enabling atmosphere whereeveryone can express their accessibility needs and feelcomfortable when communicating.

Provide preparation time and support for participants to developtheir presentations or arguments.

Provide information and training on accessible communication.

Provide a range of communication formats so that everyone getsa chance to communicate in some way.

Think about the speed, clarity, volume of your speech, etc.

Employ qualified sign-language interpreters and languageinterpreters, rather than relying on participants to interpret foreach other. Arrange for backup interpreters to be available in caseof emergencies or during long events.

Provide interpreters with papers, data, etc well in advance so theyare prepared.

Think about physical environments, accessible basic facilities.

Think about room layout, lighting, seating, background noise.

Think about timetabling, regular breaks, working days to suit allparticipants.

Put plenty of time and effort into planning and organisation beforethe event – there are lots of little things which can help, or hinder,people’s participation and communication.

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3.1 Spoken communication

3.1.1 Clear speech and sign language

Most communication during a meeting or discussion willbe spoken, so sign language is essential to enablemany hearing-impaired people to take part in meetingsand discussions. We should also remember that hearingimpairment does not always mean total loss of hearing,so there is a lot we can do to enable everyone to hearand access as much of what we say as possible.

British Manual Alphabet (fingerspelling)

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Some of the key points regarding the language aspectof sign language have been mentioned above, so willnot be repeated here.

Participants at meetings may bring their own signlanguage interpreter with them, though you should notassume that they will – check in advance. If you need tofind an interpreter, it may not be as hard or as costly asyou might think. Often, an interpreter can be foundwithin the community (a teacher, parent, health worker,etc). This person will then be more likely to be trusted bydeaf participants and to understand the local signs. Ifnobody suitable can be found, contact your local, ornational, organisations for disabled and deaf people tosee what advice and services they can offer.

Deafblind participants

Remember – there are other forms of communicationused by people who are deaf and blind. Every deafblindperson will have specific communication needs andmethods depending on the degree of their visual andhearing impairments and how old they were when theirblindness and deafness started. Ensure that you discussindividual needs with each participant.

There are two main communication methods. The BlockAlphabet involves using your forefinger to draw theshape of capital letters on the palm of the deafblindperson's hand. The Deafblind Fingerspelling Alphabetis an alphabet with one sign for each letter. It works bymaking the signs on the deafblind person’s hand. Bothmethods can be slow so you will need to tailor yourcommunications to allow for this.

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What can you do to help everyone participatebetter in spoken communications?

• The sign interpreter and hearing impaired participantsmust be able to sit in the most suitable place (so theinterpreter can hear the presenter, the participantscan see the signer, and can also see the presenter ifthey want to lip-read, look at flipcharts andoverheads, etc).

Speakers should follow some basic rules• Face the people you are talking to.• Stand where the light can fall on your face (ie, not

in the shadows or with a window behind you).• Make sure your mouth isn’t hidden behind a

microphone or your hands.• Do not speak too quickly, and pause regularly.• Provide the sign interpreter with a copy of the

presentation, difficult words or key names inadvance, so they can be prepared.

• Do not exaggerate lip movements, this won’t helplip-reading.

• Do not shout, the listener will not hear any better,but what you say may be more distorted.

• Be aware that some letters or sounds may beharder for hearing-impaired people to hear ordistinguish (for example, the letters f, s, sh).

• Use a range of other communication techniques,such as gestures, visual aids, etc.

• Try to keep background noise to a minimum. If youare able to be very selective when choosing yourvenue, check in advance how much backgroundnoise there is from outside the building, the air-conditioning equipment, etc.

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3.1.2 Language interpretation

Why interpret?

There is nothing more boring and isolating than sittingthrough a presentation or discussion you cannotunderstand. If we are going to ensure that we have arepresentative spread of participants at a meeting, beinginterviewed, etc, we will inevitably have participants whocannot speak the main language being used. Often,participation is restricted to people with English/foreignlanguage skills. In the case of the CBR Review Seminar,this would have precluded the participation of some ofour most important stakeholders – representatives frompartner agencies, parents of disabled children, disabledpeople.

Type of interpretation

Language interpretation can be as simple or complex asyou can afford or need.

• You can use technology to assist with simultaneoustranslation – a sound-proof booth for the interpreter,headphones for those listening, and microphones forall other participants to speak into.

• Or you can simply have an interpreter who translatesto a few participants, or co-presents with thepresenter, chair or facilitator.

During the CBR Review Seminar we used bothmethods, and learned some valuable lessons aboutlanguage interpretation.

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Improving interpretation

It can be very hard work for the interpreter to translateeverything they hear to their audience, but there aremany things all participants, presenters, chair-peopleand facilitators can do to make this process easier.

• Give the interpreter a copy of your presentation,transparencies, slides, videos, and any otherbackground information, at least a day in advance, sothat they can prepare.

• If your presentation is not this well prepared, see ifyou can at least provide the interpreter with a list of,(or discuss in advance), difficult names or words youthink you will use. Think carefully if you really need touse these difficult names and words – perhapseveryone would benefit if they were kept to aminimum.

• Speak relatively slowly and at an even pace. If youare running out of time, don’t speak faster, think fasterand summarise what you were planning to say.

• Make regular pauses.• Don’t be afraid to ask the interpreter and audience if

you are speaking at the right pace.• Don’t be afraid to tell the speaker if they are speaking

too fast, cannot be understood by the interpreter, etc.

It is not a good idea for participants to take oninterpretation roles themselves, because it hinders theirparticipation in the meeting/discussion. An independentinterpreter should be employed if possible, but you cantry to prepare them in advance for some of the keywords, names, concepts and acronyms used by yourorganisation.

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Photograph by: Michael Bailey, SC UK

A presenter working through an interpreter

In the case of the CBR ReviewSeminar, SC UK staff interpreted forone group of partner representatives. Itwas not effective for either side. Thestaff could not participate fully as theyfound the translation work exhausting,especially during such a participatoryevent. The partners also did notreceive adequate translation. Both sidesfelt their opportunities for informalnetworking were limited by thisarrangement.

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If you are able to use a translation booth, headphonesand microphones, make sure that all users are shownhow the equipment works and how to speak into amicrophone properly, avoiding distortion.

If you have only one or two participants requiring theassistance of an interpreter, or if you cannot afford abooth, you will probably have one or two interpreterswho just whisper the translations. To make this moreeffective, bear in mind the following:

• Position the interpreter so that everyone who needsto hear the translation can hear clearly, without theinterpreter having to speak too loudly.

• The positioning of interpretation groups is important.They should sit where the interpreter can clearly seeand hear the presenter. Equally they need to sitwhere they will cause least disruption to otherparticipants. If possible, seat interpretation groups ina different part of the room to visually-impairedparticipants: they may find it hard to distinguish who isspeaking if they can hear the voices of the presenterand the interpreter.

• Make sure you tell everyone in the room that someparticipants will be working through an interpreter,otherwise their talking and whispering may bemisinterpreted as rudeness.

• If your presenter/chair/facilitator is using aninterpreter, make sure that both people are standingwhere the audience can see and hear them. Theinterpreter will need to be a confident speaker who isused to presenting to large audiences. You will alsoneed to allow for the extra time that the presenter willneed when presenting through an interpreter.

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3.2 Visual communication and visual aids

When we talk with another person or give a presentationto a group, we communicate visually as well as orally.We make physical gestures, show overhead slides andwrite on flip charts. In short, we communicate in wayswhich may exclude visually-impaired people.

The following guidelines can ensure that everyone isincluded in discussions and presentations.

Establish a few ‘ground-rules’ at the start of themeeting, for example:

• Whoever is speaking should say who they are, incase their face cannot be seen, or voice recognisedby, visually impaired participants.

• If the chair-person is visually impaired, do not raiseyour hand to gain attention, but tell him/her that youwant to comment or ask a question.

• Speakers and audience should not feel worried abouttelling each other if they are being inaccessible.

In addition:

• Make sure that participants are seated in the bestplace for them.

• Visually impaired participants may find it better not tosit near groups working with an interpreter, in case itbecomes difficult to distinguish who is speaking.

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• Participants with milder visual impairments must beable to sit where they can see the speaker, overheadscreen, TV, etc. Meeting organisers shouldencourage a working environment where people feelhappy to move positions or ask for visual equipmentto be moved.

Maintain a minimum standard for all visual aids:

• Flip charts may not be the best way to captureinformation for the group to see, especially in a largeroom – the handwriting may be unclear, the sizecannot be increased, etc. Participants at the CBRReview Seminar felt that overhead transparencieswere much clearer and should be used wheneverpossible – find out what your meeting participantsprefer.


Keep visual materials simple and clear

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• If you can, you should type overhead transparencies,using black ink and a font size of at least 18 points. Ifyou cannot type them, write very clearly in dark inks(avoid red, orange and green as they may not showup well enough). Do not use block capitals and joinedhandwriting, clear print is best.

• If you use flip charts, use black or dark blue ink. Red,orange and green cannot be seen clearly enoughfrom a distance, so should be used sparingly.

• Do not try to put too much on one transparency or flipchart, and avoid complex ‘overlaying’ oftransparencies.

• Do not show an overhead or flip chart without readingout or describing what is being displayed toparticipants who cannot see it.

• If you are describing a diagram, keep the descriptionsimple and specific – think in terms of what is in thedifferent sections of the image – corner, centre, left,right, top, bottom.

• Do not change overheads or flip charts too quickly,allow people enough time to translate them or readthem slowly.

• Do not over-use gestures and body language tocommunicate things that you are not putting intowords as well.

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3.2.1 Videos

Videos can enable more diverse communication to takeplace, providing another opportunity to get yourmessage across in an accessible way. However, unlessa few basic standards are followed, then communicationthrough video can be very inaccessible.

• Make sure that your TV or video projection screen iswell positioned and clear enough for the group to see.

• Make sure that the sound quality is good. If the sounddistorts, the message will be inaccessible, especiallyto visually impaired viewers who rely on thecommentary.

• Check the quality of the film you plan to show. Makesure that there is not too much background noise nortoo much visual activity behind the speakers.

• Make sure that any essential subtitles, captions andgraphics are readable (see printed word guidelinesabove).

• When showing a video which does not have adequatecommentary to inform visually impaired viewers whatis happening, you may be able to add your own briefdescriptions of key actions or scenes. You shouldalso try to read out any captions which do not getspoken on the video.

• If your video also shows sign interpretation, checkthat it can be understood by your hearing-impairedviewers and that it can be seen clearly enough. If not,the sign language interpreter working at the meetingshould interpret.

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• If your video is not in the main language spoken byparticipants, make sure there is an interpreteravailable who can translate simultaneously. Providethe interpreter with a transcription of the video so theycan prepare in advance.

• If you cannot meet most of these standards, thenshowing the video may be a waste of time.

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3.3 Atmosphere

You can make your meeting more accessible bycreating a friendly, open, honest atmosphere. Below aresome suggestions based on the experiences at the CBRReview Seminar.

How can you create the right atmosphere?

• Make accessibility an integral part of preparationsfrom the very start. From your first correspondencewith potential participants introduce chances forpeople to tell you about their physical access,communication or other needs. This will help to makeeveryone aware of the issue, even if they do not haveany particular needs themselves.


Creating the right atmosphere isimportant for accessibility

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• Aim to provide automatically as much information asyou can in alternative formats and languages, andmake it clear that participants should not feel inhibitedabout asking for things if they have other needs.

• Make sure you create a disability-friendlyenvironment, not just in terms of the physicalenvironment (see below), but also by displayingpositive-image posters, literature, etc.

• Hold a short session at the start of the meeting to goover some basic ground-rules on accessibility whichwill help everyone. Ensure that all facilitators,resource people, trainers, etc, start the meeting withthe same knowledge and ideas about accessibility, sothat they don’t break any of the basic rules.

• Allow time for participants to prepare theirpresentations or arguments, and learn fromfacilitators (and each other) about the best ways toconvey their message. This preparation and learningtime is essential if everyone is to participate fully andequally, whether they are professionals withexperience of public speaking, or partners, parentsand young people who are not used tocommunicating this way.

• Encourage participants to be open about their needsand not to worry about asking others to adapt theirbehaviour or explain something again. Nobody shouldfeel shy about asking or embarrassed by beingasked.

• Offer a variety of presentation and discussionmethods so that people with different personalitystyles, from different age groups, etc, get a chance tocontribute in a way that they feel comfortable with.

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For example, offer a chance to talk in small groups,one-to-one, through role play, etc, as not everyonewill be comfortable participating in, or presenting to, alarge and intimidating group.


Preparation time is essential to enable everyone to participate fully

• Build extra time into the schedule to allow forinterpretation.

• Be patient when listening to speakers who havedifficulty using another language.

• Place reminder notices at the speaker’s podium.

• For a meeting of several days, encourage feedbackon accessibility matters in the end-of-day evaluations,and take steps to improve things for the next day.

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3.4 Environment and accommodation

The physical environment can affect whether peopleparticipate fully and gain access to discussions ortraining. There is not the space here to go into lots ofdetail about accessible environments, but we will remindyou of some key points to think about as a start. Wesuggest that you contact a specialist organisation to findout more information about providing accessible travelarrangements, accommodation and meeting facilities(see below for contact ideas).

Don’t assume anything – always ask participants inadvance what their needs are.

Travel

People can only participate in a meeting or event if theycan actually get to it.

• Can people get to your meeting?• Can it be reached by public transport?• Is public transport accessible?• Can participants afford public transport or taxis, or do

you need to provide money in advance?• Do participants know about notifying airlines of their

specific needs?• Will participants be travelling with an assistant or will

you need to meet them at the station/airport?• Do you have an accessible vehicle to transport

participants or will you need to hire one?• For residential meetings, is it an easy journey from

the accommodation to the meeting venue (not tootime-consuming or exhausting)? Are you able toaccommodate all participants in the same hotel? Ifnot, some participants will be disadvantaged by

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having to complete longer journeys to and from themeeting, and may not be able to participate inevening group activities.

Venue and accommodation

This is a quick checklist of things to think about andseek extra advice on. You will probably think of otherthings as well.

• Steps/stairs – you need as few as possible.

• Ramps – gradient, width, positioning, suitable surfacematerials, handrails.

• Lifts – location, size, position, labelling of buttons,audio announcements of floor numbers.

• Doors – widths, relative positioning, stiffhinges/springs/handles.

• Toilets – wheelchair accessible, close to meetingfacilities, parent and baby facilities.

• Baths/showers – wheelchair accessible, handrails,suitable surface materials, lifting equipment, seats,etc.

• Bedrooms – height/width of bed, width of space nextto bed, accessible storage

• Furniture – sensible positioning or removingobstacles for visually impaired people, wheelchairusers, parents with prams, etc.

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• Location and layout of communal facilities (diningrooms, meeting rooms, outdoor areas, etc).

• Good quality, well positioned audio-visualequipment (video, projector and screen, flip charts,etc).

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4 General organisationThere are lots of little details which can help people feelcomfortable and relaxed with their surroundings andfellow participants during a meeting. These can have abig impact on how well people access the discussionand participate.

• Provide regular toilet, drink and meal breaks (this willhelp everyone feel comfortable and refreshed, but isparticularly important for people with diabetes, peoplewho may be on drug regimes or who are pregnant).

• Cater for specific dietary needs.

• Provide water and snacks during the meeting.

• Schedule sensible working days, allow for the extratime that disabled people or parents with youngchildren may need to get ready or travel, and for thatfact that not everyone is physically able to work longhours (people will not be able to participate orcommunicate well if they are exhausted).

• Make arrangements for child-care or for flexibleparticipation for parents.

• Ensure that your arrangements take account ofparticipants’ religious observances. Ask participantsbefore the event what their needs are. This mayinclude not working on certain days of the week orcertain special days, scheduling break times tocoincide with prayer times, providing quiet rooms forpraying, providing access to water for ablutions,providing information on local external facilities, etc.

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5 Planning and financing

Providing accessible information can be expensive, sobudget for it at the start, even if your document or eventis not specifically about disability issues.

For documents you will need to budget for:

• Braille• audio cassette• large print• language translations• usual production costs (proof-reading, design or

typesetting, printing).

For meetings you will also need to budget for:

• sign and other language interpretation• personal assistants who may accompany disabled

participants• facilities, equipment or modifications to the venue

Donors have a commitment to participatory work. Ourexperience with the CBR Review has shown that theydo consider accessible information to be an essentialelement that is worth funding.

• Include accessibility in funding applications. Provideinformation on how you will be making your proposedwork accessible and include requests for resources tocover this.

Providing accessible information and arranging foraccessible meeting conditions can take more time.Remember to plan for these extra staff hours at thebeginning of any project.

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Do not forget about the financial implications forparticipants. Make sure they are aware early on whatexpenses they will be liable for, what payments (or perdiem) the organisers will provide and what they(participants) can do if their financial situation makes itdifficult for them to take part.

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CLearning from experience

Some of the most important points we learned aboutaccessibility and participation include:

• Consult users and participants, especially disabledparticipants, well in advance to get their advice andinformation about their communication andparticipation needs.

• Insist on budgeting for accessibility at the start ofevery project. To say that a sign language interpretercannot attend a meeting, as there is not enoughmoney, is a violation of a deaf person’s rights.

• Check the venue for every meeting well in advanceand get proper advice from someone who knowsabout accessibility. Even if a venue claims to beaccessible, it might not be when you look moreclosely.

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• Leave plenty of time in your planning schedule forproducing alternative formats and translations ofdocuments. If it takes a month to write and print awritten report, add another month to get it translatedor Brailled.

• Create monitoring systems during meetings to assesshow well you are doing on accessibility. Evaluate yourpractices after an event or at the end of a project tohelp improve accessibility in the future.

• Create an open, honest and understandingatmosphere, where nobody is afraid to ask forchanges to be made and nobody is embarrassed bybeing asked to change something.

Improving our practice

True participation cannot begin to happen untilaccessibility is also addressed. Lack of specialistknowledge of accessibility issues is not a barrier toimproving access to communication in all its forms.These guidelines give you an idea of where to start, andthere is a wealth of advice available from national andlocal organisations of disabled people, and of course,from the users and participants of your particulardocument or meeting.

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Achieving accessibility throughout a process can requireextra planning, but the more we do it, the more itbecomes a part of our everyday procedures, and theless special planning we will need to do. Integratingaccessibility into our work will always cost money, evenonce we have embraced it in our work culture.Translation and Braille services do not come free, butthe more experienced we become, the more able we willbe to source local, cheaper services. Lack of resourcesdoes not have to be a barrier to accessibility – there isso much we can do that is not expensive, if we just giveit a little thought.

Contact for further information:Ingrid Lewis, Policy Officer (Diversity),Research and Development Unit, SC UK London

November 2000

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DContacts for furtherinformation

This list contains details of just a few of the hundreds ofagencies and websites that can provide information orpoint you in the direction of services in your town orcountry.

Royal National Institute for the Blind(RNIB) – UK

RNIB offers an extensive range of services andinformation. If you have access to the internet then theirwebsite http://www.rnib.org.uk/ is highly recommended.It is very comprehensive, covering all aspects of visualimpairment, including accessible information. It alsocontains a database of relevant organisations aroundthe world.

If you do not have internet access, you can contactRNIB’s Customer Services for information onpublications, equipment, games and information

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transcription and library services, magazines, Braille,large print, tape, and publishing services for businessesand organisations.

RNIB Customer ServicesPO Box 173Peterborough PE2 6WSUKTelephone: +44 (0)845 702 3153Minicom: +44 (0) 345 58 56 91Fax : +44 (0)1733 37 15 55Email: Customer services:

UK customers [email protected] customers [email protected]

Royal National Institute for Deaf People(RNID) – UK

RNID also provides a range of information, services andtraining. Their website http://www.rnid.org.uk containsmany useful factsheets on all aspects of deafness, mostof which can be downloaded. The site also has a largeprint option.

If you do not have internet access contact:

RNIDHead Office19-23 Featherstone StreetLondon EC1Y 8SLUKTelephone: +44 (0)20 7296 8000Textphone: +44 (0)20 7296 8001Fax: +44 (0)20 7296 8199E-mail: [email protected]

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Centre for Accessible Environments – UK

C A ENutmeg House60 Gainsford StreetLondon SE1 2NYUKMinicom/Tel: +44 (0) 20 - 7357 8182Fax: +44 (0)20 - 7357 8183Email: [email protected]

CAE provides information and services relating toaccessibility of the physical environment. Only some oftheir information publications are available free on theirwebsite: http://www.cae.org.uk/ Most publications, orarticles from their journal “Access by Design”, need tobe ordered. Please note that this site is very oriented tothe UK, although its offers links to some Europeanorganisations, such as:

Institute of Independent Living – Sweden

Their website also includes a database of relateddisability and accessibility organisations from around theworld, some of which may be able to offer advice orservices to help you in your work on accessibility:http://www2.independentliving.temp.pi.se/donet/index2.html

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British Council of Disabled People

If you are looking for disability organisations withinBritain to consult about access issues, the BCODP hasanother database http://www.bcodp.org.uk/

BCODPLitchurch PlazaLitchurch LaneDerby DE24 8AAUKTelephone: +44 (0)1332 295551Fax: +44 (0)1332 295580Minicom: +44(0)1332 295581Email: [email protected]

Internet accessibility

There has not been space in this document to discussaccessibility of internet communication and information,but if this is an area of interest there are dozens ofwebsites offering information. A general search of theword “accessibility” in most search engines will find youa list of web accessibility sites. However, start off byreading RNIB’s guidelines athttp://www.rnib.org.uk/digital/hints.htm

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Translation work

Save the Children UK has produced Guidelines forTranslation, which we recommend SC UK staff usewhen undertaking translations.

To obtain a copy contact:Translations OfficerDevelopment Dialogue TeamSave the Children UK17 Grove LaneLondon SE5 8RDUKTelephone: +44 (0)20 7703 5400 ext 2359Fax: +44 (0)20 7793 7630E-mail: [email protected]