Questions and Answers about Project Puzzle’s Informative Documents

What do we mean by ‘Informative Documents’?

Typically, when we think of information, we think of leaflets, posters, newspapers and teaching resources – maybe including Websites and videos. On this project, we interpret ‘Informative Documents’ as widely as possible and work with the full range of multimedia tools to create informative resources that are in various formats.

How many important documents on the issues of human rights are adapted to the needs of people with ID?

Our research on Project Puzzle has evidenced a serious shortage of information about human rights that has been adapted to suit people with ID, especially to the needs of people who cannot read or find it difficult to understand spoken words. Easy to Read material that is produced remains primarily text based, so it is not suitable for people who cannot read.

How can professionals help people with ID to access easy to read and easy to understand information on the issues of human rights?

Our approach on Project Puzzle has been to explore how, by working with multimedia tools, we can create easy to understand materials in new simple and creative ways. As we create materials using a multimedia production approach we have found that there are many easy and effective ways to actively involve people with ID in the process.

Project Puzzle partners have applied a wide range of multimedia approaches to create information resources WITH people with ID as well as FOR the people with ID. This has enabled us to start to address the shortage of accessible information about human rights in our communities. It has also highlighted new ways in which to actively include and involve people with ID in addressing the need for more accessible information in formats that people of all abilities can understand, even if they cannot read.

This ‘multimedia advocacy’ approach to tackling the shortage of Easy to Read information uses photos, video and audio clips, drama production, craft skills and participatory workshop methods to make information that is not just ‘Easy to Read – it is easy to create, easy to look at, to watch and to listen to. Information presented in multimedia formats is easy to interpret and understand in whatever way suits the individual’s communication preferences and personal accessibility needs.

The Project Puzzle team feel that the multimedia approach can take ‘Easy to Read’ work to another level.

Last modified: Saturday, 28 October 2017, 7:20 PM