Adept Newsletter - Issue 2
Disability Equality & Access Requirements
The belief that ‘the more we know about Deaf and disabled people’s conditions the more we can include them’ leads to questions being asked about personal health and/or impairments.
The challenge is: ‘Do we need to
focus on impairment at all?’ Our responsibility is to make adjustments
that enable disabled people to take
part.
Consider the types of ‘access’ below and then answer the following question:
What might be the 'access' required by
someone with a ‘sight impairment’?
Types of Access
a) Visual (e.g. large print, contrast,
colour)
b) Auditory (e.g. loop, voice synthesiser)
c) Tactile (e.g. braille, handrail, keyboard)
d) Physical (e.g. ramp, space, lever handle)
e) Language (e.g. BSL, makaton, picture)
f) Time (e.g. more time to complete task)
The answer is: all or any of the above (a through to f). The same is true of people with other conditions: e.g. hard of hearing, paralysis, Learning Disability, Schizophrenia.
The principle is:
“Knowing about someone’s impairment tells you nothing about their access requirements i.e. the adjustments you need to make”
Your job is made easier by asking questions,
like: ‘What is your access requirement?’ or ‘What adjustments
do we need to make for you to take part in … ?’ or ‘How
do we make ‘this’ usable?’
Good Practice
Take the social model place (see Newsletter issue 1) – its about access (usability) and not impairment (personal).
Always ask ‘access’ related questions like: ‘What is your access requirement?’ or ‘What adjustments do we need to make for you to take part in … ?’ or ‘How do we make ‘this’ usable?’
Whatever the response, keep your focus on what adjustments you need to make and not what the disabled person can and can’t do related to their illness, condition or impairment.
Ask the disabled person for ways to remove the barrier (make an adjustment), they probably have done it before many times.
Anticipate by implementing generic access (remove attitude, physical, organisational, environmental barriers).
Inform and publish what is accessible and what is not (publish in accessible formats).
Set up accessible feedback and consultation.
Written by Eileen Finch of Adept - March
2007