He’s rocking his socks off, but what’s she doing?
Using sign language, she’s making the band accessible to a deaf audience by interpreting the words, the emotion of the singer and the song too.
But take away the interpreter and if you can’t hear the singer, well, what’s left?
The singer and the interpreter are a good example of how greater inclusion can be created, bringing performers and their audiences closer together.
This is just one example. Making that critical connection with the deaf, or with people with a visual impairment can have a profound effect on the quality of their lives.
The importance of making information available to everyone
Just think of the sense of isolation and frustration created by a lack of access to information that’s readily available to most of us.
And as the world progressively goes online it becomes all the more important that access to the information that we all take for granted, is also available to those with hearing or sight loss.
Whether accessibility relates to employment, health and safety issues, or to shopping, banking or travel, there are many ways to make this information available to practically everyone.
Easy read – makes written information accessible to those with a range of impairments that affect how information is processed by simplifying the writing style.
Large type – Makes information easier to read for those with a visual impairment by using larger fonts, improving the contrast between background colour and the text, shorter column widths and increased line spacing.
Immersive Reader – a function provided by Microsoft to improve the readability of text by automatically adjusting word and line spacing for greater clarity.
Read Aloud – allows the content of many types of document to be read aloud using a software application.
Website Accessibility tools – websites are now readily accessible to a broader audience thanks to the tools every website designer can use. Contrast and type-size can be easily adjusted to suit the visitor and text that can read automatically by software is easily identified.
Video Captions – Adding captions to video ensures that far more deaf people can easily engage with the content. It’s a straightforward process that makes important information readily accessible for training, safety, health issues, education – or entertainment.
British Sign Language (BSL) – This is where we started, but it’s immensely important to around 150,000 people in the UK who depend on BSL as their primary or secondary form of communication. Globally there are probably 70 million people using one of perhaps 300 different types of sign language today.
Does accessibility stop at English?
Many of our clients now request that their information, published in many languages using different media, meets accessibility standards.
Ensuring compliance with the established standards maximises the inclusion of individuals whose first language isn’t English.
Does inclusion make a positive contribution to mental well-being?
Imagine not being able to make sense of the every-day activities we all take for granted; understanding and communicating with banks, energy suppliers and water companies are typical examples.
Resolving even simple issues becomes incredibly challenging.
If faced with these scenarios every day, it’s likely that an individual’s mental health will be affected.
More than this, it can lead to financial and even legal problems that can so easily be avoided if consideration is given to those who need a little help.
The commercial perspective
Inclusion in its many forms, brings quantifiable benefits.
- Recruiting and developing new talent that can enhance business performance
- Acquiring new customers who may not be aware of, or able to take advantage of your offering
- Creating brand loyalty
- Improved business performance
And more.
It’s easy to see how even simple things like making a document or website easy to read, or listen to can make a huge difference to so many.
Where does Prestige Network fit into this scenario?
Over the past 30 years, Prestige Network has grown to be a primary provider of accessibility resources to regional and central government, to health services, the police and to legal services, to public service organisations and to businesses in many sectors.
By helping others communicate, we’re making a positive contribution to the well-being of many. You can contact us if you want to find out more.
Ken Mealing
Solutions Architect
I manage a team of experienced project managers, software engineers (who understand all things digital), a global team of transcreators and translators, and a multimedia and typesetting studio.
I’m responsible for delivering the solution that you need.
