Make your Campaign Accessible
Information
A site for candidates, agents and helpers to share information and tips for making campaign materials accessible for people with learning and other disabilities.
Members: 17
Latest Activity: Jul 4, 2011
Why does it matter?
According to the Every Vote Counts campaign, although 80% of people with learning disabilities are registered to vote, only around 1 in 8 did so in the last General Election.
It can also be very difficult for people with visual and hearing impairments to access the information they need to make an informed and independent choice. For a first-hand account of why you should make your campaign materials accessible, take a look at Liz Ball's story. Liz works for Sense, as a Campaigns Involvement Officer (and very kindly - and patiently! - taught me how to sign my name in Deafblind Manual at a recent - and very useful - Sense disability training awareness event for parliamentary candidates). For Liz's story in video, go to:
http://www.sense.org.uk/campaigns/General+election+2010/Lizs+voting+experience
I found it particularly concerning that because postal vote slips aren't available in Braille, Liz has to have someone help her mark her ballot, which of course means she can't keep her vote confidential - a secret ballot should be a basic part of democracy! How hard would it be to have candidates names and parties in Braille on postal vote papers?
What can you do?
While the Lib Dem manifesto will be available in accessible formats - you might wish to make accessible versions of your own materials, for example an accessible version of your Election Communication. Check if there are any suitable forums in the constituency that you can attend to speak to people about what type of materials and messages work for them. I'll be attending these in the Thurrock constituency and will feed back useful info.
To start researching how to make your campaign materials accessible, try:
www.easyinfo.org - fantastic set of guides, particularly the ones on Words & Language, Design & Layout and Using Symbols. Any problems, mail me and I can send you PDFs.
www.everyvotecounts.org.uk - especially the 5-point guide to Making Democracy Accessible
http://www.mencap.org.uk/page.asp?id=12666 - Mencap's Get My Vote campaign
http://www.changepeople.co.uk/uploaded/CHANGE_How_to_Make_Info_Accessible_guide.pdf
Very comprehensive guide from Change People, but the PDF takes a while.
http://ow.ly/1bZHW - Easy Read - tips and software - if your campaign can afford it!
RNIB and some private companies can turn your campaign materials into audio and/or Braille - which isn't as expensive as you might think. Also- they're good quality and use professional readers so well worth it. Contact the Disability Access Services dept at RNIB - they can discuss options with you and give you quotes. Materials with photos, tables, graphics, etc need a longer turnaround time but if your document isn't too complex and is mostly text, you can use their Webdocs service. It's not at all expensive for an audio CD version you can then upload as an audio file to your website.
Free audio software if you want to make a DIY audio CD:
http://audacity.sourceforge.net/
Comments, tips, info and more links very welcome!
According to the Every Vote Counts campaign, although 80% of people with learning disabilities are registered to vote, only around 1 in 8 did so in the last General Election.
It can also be very difficult for people with visual and hearing impairments to access the information they need to make an informed and independent choice. For a first-hand account of why you should make your campaign materials accessible, take a look at Liz Ball's story. Liz works for Sense, as a Campaigns Involvement Officer (and very kindly - and patiently! - taught me how to sign my name in Deafblind Manual at a recent - and very useful - Sense disability training awareness event for parliamentary candidates). For Liz's story in video, go to:
http://www.sense.org.uk/campaigns/General+election+2010/Lizs+voting+experience
I found it particularly concerning that because postal vote slips aren't available in Braille, Liz has to have someone help her mark her ballot, which of course means she can't keep her vote confidential - a secret ballot should be a basic part of democracy! How hard would it be to have candidates names and parties in Braille on postal vote papers?
What can you do?
While the Lib Dem manifesto will be available in accessible formats - you might wish to make accessible versions of your own materials, for example an accessible version of your Election Communication. Check if there are any suitable forums in the constituency that you can attend to speak to people about what type of materials and messages work for them. I'll be attending these in the Thurrock constituency and will feed back useful info.
To start researching how to make your campaign materials accessible, try:
www.easyinfo.org - fantastic set of guides, particularly the ones on Words & Language, Design & Layout and Using Symbols. Any problems, mail me and I can send you PDFs.
www.everyvotecounts.org.uk - especially the 5-point guide to Making Democracy Accessible
http://www.mencap.org.uk/page.asp?id=12666 - Mencap's Get My Vote campaign
http://www.changepeople.co.uk/uploaded/CHANGE_How_to_Make_Info_Accessible_guide.pdf
Very comprehensive guide from Change People, but the PDF takes a while.
http://ow.ly/1bZHW - Easy Read - tips and software - if your campaign can afford it!
RNIB and some private companies can turn your campaign materials into audio and/or Braille - which isn't as expensive as you might think. Also- they're good quality and use professional readers so well worth it. Contact the Disability Access Services dept at RNIB - they can discuss options with you and give you quotes. Materials with photos, tables, graphics, etc need a longer turnaround time but if your document isn't too complex and is mostly text, you can use their Webdocs service. It's not at all expensive for an audio CD version you can then upload as an audio file to your website.
Free audio software if you want to make a DIY audio CD:
http://audacity.sourceforge.net/
Comments, tips, info and more links very welcome!
Discussion Forum
Distribution 1 Reply
Once you've made your accessible materials, how can you distribute them?I found my local Mencap group couldn't help distribute my materials to its members, as it didn't want to be seen as partisan.…Continue
Started by Carys Davis. Last reply by Rebekah Gronowski Feb 28, 2010.
Little Things 2 Replies
A few tiny, techy things to consider (when making materials for people with learning disabilities) before you even start thinking about content:There's a lot more on the information guides on…Continue
Started by Carys Davis. Last reply by Carys Davis Feb 28, 2010.
Comment Wall
Add a Comment
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Comment by Carys Davis on April 1, 2010 at 18:11
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Comment by Joyce Yendole on March 17, 2010 at 14:21 -
There were definitely 2 BSL interpreters working in the main hall throughout this year's Federal Spring Conference. In the Fringe guide there is a symbol for BSL at fringe events, as well as one for hearing loop provision; 4 events indicate hearing loop facilities, but none, that I can see, had BSL available.
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Comment by Rebekah Gronowski on March 16, 2010 at 2:07 -
If I am correct, I think it is Lib Dem policy to have a BSL interpreter at all Federal Conferences. If this is not happening, please get in touch with the Chairman of the Liberal Democrat Disability Association (LDDA) [Robert Adamson] or the Federal Conference Committee to find out why.
I believe that, at this year's Scottish Spring Conference, there was no BSL interpreter. I certainly did not see one.
We must not allow the Party to deny accessibility to a BSL interpreter on the grounds of cost! This is likely to be the arggument against having them. We all pay our Membership Subscriptions and part of that should entitle everyone to the facilities which they need to attend Conferences and to see & hear what is being said.
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Comment by Carys Davis on March 11, 2010 at 20:10
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Couple of new links added today - Scope campaign aims to end the exclusion of people with disabilities from the electoral process.
See www.pollsapart.org.uk
If you're putting on an event as part of a hearing campaign, you might want to use a British Sign Language interpreter - but only go for a registered one!
There's a list of registered BSL interpreters here:
www.signature.org.uk
And finally....some very handy tools for labelling in Braille - very useful for name badges, etc can be found here:
http://onlineshop.rnib.org.uk/browse.asp?n=11&c=86&sc=333&a...
You can get a handheld Dymo gun for this purpose for under £40
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Comment by Rebekah Gronowski on February 28, 2010 at 19:54
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Glad to help! ;~)
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Comment by Carys Davis on February 28, 2010 at 19:05
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Oh yes, fantastic! Thanks Rebekah.
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Comment by Rebekah Gronowski on February 28, 2010 at 19:01
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You can upload documents - if you look at the row of icons at the top of the 'Add a Comment' box, the one on the far right next to the camera is a document upload icon.
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Comment by Carys Davis on February 28, 2010 at 12:03
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Hi both,
Thanks for the comments and glad you're enjoying the group. Act doesn't seem to allow for document uploads, but I'll upload my files to the Huddle Workspace when they're done so people can copy them if they want. I'm not sure how long it will take as I'm getting guidance from a local supported housing association and attending forums with the drafts so the intended audience can give me their comments and I can make changes.
Carys
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Comment by Joyce Yendole on February 28, 2010 at 11:45
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This is great! Thanks so much! I've just forwarded the link to our PPC, fighting a target seat! What a good idea to help the voters with this resource!
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Comment by Rebekah Gronowski on February 28, 2010 at 8:10
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Thank you for setting this group up, Carys - a brilliant idea.
It is so important that we actually do something in the Party to recognise that other formats of Election Campaigning materials are needed besides Braille, Large Print or audio. See my comments about 'contrast colours'.
We have to lead the way in this - there is, potentially, a large number of voters out there who would vote for us if they can access the materials. They will also realise that we, as a Party, recognize their individual needs.
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