ACQ Vol 11 no 2 2009

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ACQ Volume 11, Number 2 2009 105
Future challenges and
opportunities
The Communication Resource Centre – Scope is committed
to raising the awareness of the need for people with limited
functional literacy skills to have accessible written
information. Awareness of this will, in time, increase the
understanding, need and resources for accessible
information to be developed as a common occurrence. The
Communication Resource Centre is keen to hear of any
organisations that are also developing accessible written
information, or from anyone who may be interested in
developing the strategy further within their own organisations
or partner organisations.
It extends the right to communicate not only to people
with sensory impairments, but also to people with other
disabilities (e.g., people who have limited or no speech,
people with cognitive/linguistic or intellectual or acquired
disabilities) (UN, 2006, p. 14).
In summary, it is a universal and international right for
everyone to have access to written information in a way in
which that person needs it. The concept of communication
accessibility ensures more people with limited literacy are
included.
The Communication Resource
Centre – Scope
How do poor literacy skills impact on access to information,
being socially included and being able to participate
meaningfully through the life span? How do government, non
government and businesses become more aware of the
need to provide information for people with poor literacy
skills?
The Communication Resource Centre – Scope is
working with government, non-government and corporate
organisations to become more aware of the literacy needs
of their environments. The Communication Resource Centre
endeavours to work with these groups to challenge them to
write clearly, using everyday language, in simple sentences,
and to not use complex and/or corporate language. The aim
is not to teach people reading; it is to provide opportunities
for people with limited literacy to be included in the
information exchange currently available to other people. As
a consequence of this strategy, there have been a number of
additional benefits:
• organisations are looking at their public domain
information with new, critical eyes;
• information is being revised to contain less jargon, be
clearer and logical;
• organisations are gaining the benefit of more people
accessing their services;
• organisations are reviewing the access to information on
their websites and
• individuals who are supported to read the Easy English
information have:
– increased knowledge in an area not previously known
about,
– increased confidence to “have a go”,
– increased self-esteem,
– more time spent reading, and
– more social participation.
Recent work conducted in partnership with the Victorian
Electoral Commission demonstrates how large organisations
and services can successfully address the needs of people
in communities with limited literacy skills. A number of
publications and posters have been developed to support
the Victorian Electoral Commission to improve their written
information for the Victorian community. The publications
have had an overwhelming and positive response from many
different people in the community. There have been four
major publications completed. These are:
• Voting in Victoria: State Government Elections (2006)
• Local Council Elections: Attendance Voting (2008)
• Local Council Elections: Postal Voting (2008)
• Running Your Own Election (2008).
In addition, the Victorian Electoral Commission recorded
an Auslan DVD about the local council elections. It is based
on the content of the Easy English local council books.
Information is also available in large print or Braille.
Correspondence to:
Cathy Basterfield
Consultant Speech Pathologist
Co-ordinator Accessible Information Service
Communication Resource Centre – Scope
phone: 03 9843 2012
email:
References
“Accessibility”. Retrieved 24 March, 2009, from http://en.
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2006, reissue). Adult
literacy and life skills survey, summary results (Report No.
4228.0). Retrieved from
ausstats/subscriber.nsf/0/B22A471C221C7BADCA2573CA
00207F10/$File/42280_2006%20(reissue).pdf
Scope. (2009). Scope Vic: About Us. Retrieved from
United Nations. (2006). Convention on the rights of
persons with disabilities and its optional protocol. Retrieved
from
convoptprot-e.pdf
Resources
convoptprot-e.pdf
GuideAttendancevotingeasyEnglish.pdf
GuidePostalvotingeasyEnglish.pdf