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Here are some examples of how you might involve disabled people in communications work. They touch on different aspects of communications and suggest different ways of involving disabled people, including:
A UK publicity campaign about housing benefit changes is being planned. Among the people affected will be a substantial number of disabled people and they need to be involved at the earliest opportunity.
An effective way to involve disabled people in a major campaign is to set up an independent advisory group.
Through an open recruitment process, ten disabled people are appointed who have expertise in disability equality; some also have a marketing background. The independent advisory group meets regularly throughout the campaign. This group proves invaluable in identifying issues, proposing solutions and providing ongoing feedback throughout the campaign.
A new website is being developed to provide information about tax credits. There have been problems identified in the accessibility of websites previously and it is important that everything possible is done to ensure that these do not recur.
A good way to do this is to set up an online forum. This gives disabled people the opportunity to take part in interactive discussion of ideas and plans for the new website's design, content and accessibility.
The forum is publicised through a number of organisations and websites aimed at disabled people.
To join in, participants simply indicate that they are disabled and that they have an interest in this area. They can, if they wish, provide further details or request to be involved in off-line strategies.
A city information campaign aimed at women is being developed and there is concern that this information should be successful in reaching women from South Asian communities, including disabled women. There needs to be involvement from these communities to ensure that the messages are presented appropriately and distributed through the right channels.
One way to do this would be to hold a specific focus group to involve women from the Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi communities.
Liaison with local community organisations takes place to discuss the most appropriate communication routes and how to make the meeting accessible and appropriate for all the women who want to attend.
Letters are sent to the local disability and older people's organisations, mosques, Hindu temples and carers' organisations. A poster is created and distributed, which south Asian businesses are asked to display. Both letter and poster are produced in a range of languages. They indicate that the focus group is for women only and facilitation will be provided in several languages.
A health awareness campaign has particular relevance to people with long-term mental health conditions. There is concern that the messages might not reach this group of people through mainstream channels.
In order to ensure that the messages reach their audience relevant groups of disabled people are involved to ensure the delivery of messages effectively.
A range of national and local voluntary and statutory organisations and networks are asked to distribute campaign materials. These include posters, leaflets and website links. Information is also provided in alternative formats and community languages on request.
The information is developed and expanded, following feedback from the organisations' members, on the most effective way of providing information to this group of people.
An article is drafted about the campaign that can be used in community group newsletters, on websites and in e-bulletins. This provides direct communication to the target group, from a source that they regularly use and trust.
The organisations also provide advice on what are the best mainstream publications and networks to reach this audience.
The information is sent out through organisations for people from ethnic minorities. Some people are more likely to turn to these groups for information and support than to disability or mental health organisations.
The first phase of a major national awareness raising campaign is being evaluated. The learning from this will be used to inform the planning and delivery of the next phase. Up to this point there has been no involvement of disabled people in the campaign and this has been identified as a weakness.
One method of involving disabled people in measuring the success and impact of the campaign is to set up a stakeholder jury.
A group of 15 disabled people are drawn from across the UK, with a variety of backgrounds and perspectives. The group initially meets for a day and acts together as a jury to decide how well the campaign has worked to date and to discuss important points for planning the next phase.
Presentations are made by witnesses who speak to the jury. These include senior campaign staff, representatives from the advertising agency and other key team members. Jury members ask questions and discuss issues before creating their feedback and suggested action planning points.
It is agreed that the stakeholder jury will meet again to provide input into the early planning stages for the next phase of the campaign. It will continue to provide feedback and suggested actions throughout the life of the campaign.
For practical tips, visit the top tips section of this guidance.
Page last reviewed: 11 August 2008