Accessible information PDF Print E-mail

For many disabled people, and especially people with sensory or learning impairments, much of the information which comes our way on the television, on the radio, in a newspaper or in a leaflet is not accessible because of the language used or the way information is presented.

Because such people fail to receive general information they may be unaware of issues, available products and services or legislation which affect their lives. Information providers often ignore the fact that disabled people are also consumers, employers, employees, parents, drivers, holiday-makers, etc.

Despite the introduction of the DDA and a plethora of guidelines on accessible information it is still rare to find commercial firms providing information on services and products in Braille, tape and other accessible formats.

One of the roles of access groups is to promote the idea that services, including information, should be accessible to everybody who needs it, in the way they can use it. If information is useful to others, it is useful to us. For example, most of the print we see around us (books, newspapers, magazines, and many leaflets) are only available in small type sizes, around 8 to 10 point. Whilst a lot of people can read this, many people would find a slightly larger size easier. The RNIB recommends type size 14 point (equivalent to a minimum x-height of 2mm or more ideally 2.3mm). The larger the minimum type size, the more people you will reach. Types of font are important – sans serif types are best, for example Arial and Helvetica.

Access to information is particularly difficult for people with sensory impairments. The term ‘sensory impairment’ includes people who are blind and partially sighted, people who are deaf or hard of hearing and people who are deafblind. Information in standard print formats is also often inaccessible to people with literacy problems and people with learning difficulties. These very different types of impairment mean that people have different needs and so will require information in different formats.