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.