Accessible Communication Handbook
Copyright © 2011 by Sara Hall Illustrations copyright © 2011 by Sara Hall All rights reserved. No portion of this guide may be reproduced–mechanically, electronically, or by any other means, including photocopying–without written permission of the publisher. Masters of Industrial Design The University of the Arts 212 South Broad Street, 5th Floor Philadelphia, PA 19102 First printing May 2011
Liberty Resources is the leader in accessible communication because we employ and serve a diverse range of ability levels. This handbook, to be used in conjunction with the Guide to Accessible Communication, was established by Liberty Resources in collaboration with the Masters of Industrial Design program at The University of the Arts. It shares information about the multiple ability levels and how Liberty Resources makes communication accessible for all.
Contents Using this Book 06 Auditory 09 About 10 Methods 12 Cognitive 15 About 16 Methods 18 Physical 21 About 22 Methods 24 Visual 27 About 28 Methods 30
Using this Book This book addresses the multiple ability levels of people that Liberty employs. It features the four major disability catergories: Auditory
Cognitive Physical
Visual 6
Each disability category has two sections:
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About: • Defines the disability • Names common types • Names common assistive technologies used • Etiquette Methods: What Liberty uses to make communication more accessible
The Guide to Accessible Communication can be used with this handbook to elaborate on the ideas presented. 7
Auditory
About People with auditory needs have impairments that affect their ability to fully or partially detect or understand sounds. Common Types: • Deafness • Mild hearing loss Common Assistive Technology used: • Interpreters • Hearing aids • Speech to text readers 10
Etiquette • Eliminate unnecessary noise (i.e. close the door to a conference room while in a meeting). • For those with interpreters: •
Speak directly to the individual.
• For those who can read lips: •
Speak slowly and enunciate.
•
Do not exaggerate.
•
Keep objects away from you mouth. 11
Methods Captioning: Always provide visual captions with audio or video, this way one can read the narration.
12
For Meetings: • Have a Clear Goal. This will help keep the meeting on topic. It also provides a way to measure the process of the meeting. • Create an Agenda. Identify what needs to be addressed in the meeting. Place time restraints on these tasks to keep the meeting on schedule. • Summarize. At the end of the meeting, review the agenda, record what has been completed, and reiterate the major conclusions. 13
Cognitive
About People with cognitive needs have impairments that affect their ability to reason, understand, and learn. Common types: • Attention Deficit Disorder • Cerebral Palsy • Alzheimer’s
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Etiquette • Use simple and concrete language. • Speak slowly and clearly. • Rephrase and repeat if necessary.
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Methods Explaining Graphics To meet accessibility needs, explain everything shown, from graphics to text. Doing this will help you convey your message to the audience. In-depth explanation of what is being shown, clarifies the presenter’s intent. The graphic on the opposite page shows how this can be done.
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For Meetings: • Have a Clear Goal. This will help keep the meeting on topic. It also provides a way to measure the process of the meeting. • Create an Agenda. Identify what needs to be addressed in the meeting. Place time restraints on these tasks to keep the meeting on schedule. • Summarize. At the end of the meeting, review the agenda, record what has been completed, and reiterate the major conclusions. 19
Physical
About People with physical needs have impairments that affect their ability to ambulate, move, or perform any related function. This can also include impairments that limit other facets of daily living. Common types: • Paralysis • Sleep Apnea • Epilepsy Common assistive technology: • Wheelchairs • Crutches 22
Etiquette • Ensure space is accessible, barriers and obstacles should be removed. • Do not hang or lean on wheelchair, a wheelchair is an extension of its user.
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• If speaking for an extend time, speak to people at eye level, sit in a chair if necessary.
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Methods For Meetings: • Have a Clear Goal. This will help keep the meeting on topic. It also provides a way to measure the process of the meeting. • Create an Agenda. Identify what needs to be addressed in the meeting. Place time restraints on these tasks to keep the meeting on schedule. • Summarize. At the end of the meeting, review the agenda, record what has been completed, and reiterate the major conclusions. 24
Brainstorming Brainstorming is a great way to generate ideas and solutions. An effective brainstorming process ensures that everyone has an opportunity to share their thoughts. To effectively brainstorm, a clear common goal should be set. Decide what topic, problem, or issue you want to address at the beginning of the session.
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Visual
About People with visual needs have impairments that affect their sight. Common types: • Loss of visual field • Inability to detect small changes in brightness • Color blindness • Sensitivity to light • Blindness
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Common assistive technology: • Canes • Service Animals • Text to speech software • Braille Etiquette • Identify yourself when entering and exiting a room. • Do not touch or pet service animals. • Keep doors either open or closed.
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Methods 14-Point Verdana Sans-serif fonts, such as Verdana, are fonts that do not have glyphs attached to them. 14-point is the minimum size for large print while the sans-serif font and color combination is legible for all ability levels.
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Accessible Email The following techniques ensure accessibility for emails: • Always use regular, black, 14-point Verdana font on a white background. All emails from outside sources must also be converted to this format. • Do not include images or other media in email. • If including an attachment, always attach a plain text file in addition to the original document.
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Explain graphics: To meet accessibility needs, explain everything shown, from graphics to text. Doing this will help you convey your message to the audience. In-depth explanation of what is being shown, clarifies the presenter’s intent. The graphic on the opposite page shows how this can be done.
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Shared Files Always include a plain text file with other document types. Not all documents can be translated by assistive technology. Plain text files should be saved in addition to other file types. This will ensure that all methods of assistive technology can read and access the file.
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Liberty Resources is the leader in accessible communication because we employ and serve a diverse range of ability levels. This handbook, to be used in conjunction with the Guide to Accessible Communication, was established by Liberty Resources in collaboration with the Masters of Industrial Design program at The University of the Arts. It shares information about the multiple ability levels and how Liberty Resources makes communication accessible for all.