Civic Participation Network

Case studies: costs and benefits of implementing inclusive communication 

Contents:

Introduction
Inclusive Communication
Positive impact of adopting inclusive communication
How to develop inclusive communication
Cost and benefits of implementing inclusive communication
Top practical tips from the case studies
Process
Recommendations to organisations

The Case studies:

Civic Participation Network Reference Group case study

Inverclyde Adult Protection Services case study

Scottish Disability Equality Forum and Lochaber Access Panel case study

Young Scot All In case study

Downloadable documents:

You can download copies of all the case study documents from the downloads section.

Introduction

People in Scotland have a right to equality of access to services, activities and opportunities for active citizenship. 

People with communication support needs are represented in all communities and interest groups in Scotland.  These are individuals who require support to:

• understand (verbal and written information)
• express themselves. 

Effective communication plays a vital role in offering equality of access to all. 

Many service providers recognise this.  However they do not always change their practice to make communication more inclusive. 

This may be because organisations:

• do not know what to do or how to do it
• recognise the needs of people with sensory impairments but are unaware of other types of communication support needs
• feel overwhelmed by the size of the task and possible cost.

Inclusive communication

Communication is inclusive if we recognise that:

• individuals understand and express themselves in different ways
• all communication should follow basic good practice and additional support is offered when required. 

It is important to establish a clear and shared understanding of what basic good communication practice looks like.

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Case studies: costs and benefits of implementing inclusive communication (MS Word)

Case studies: costs and benefits of implementing inclusive communication (Adobe PDF)

All the case study documents which can be downloaded and printed