for Volunteering England’s Information Service
Our commitment
Volunteering England’s Information Service staff members are committed to providing clear and accessible information to everyone who uses our service. We will also encourage others to be supportive of individual needs, as part of our role in promoting good practice.
Our approach
Historically, the approach to disability has been based on a ‘medical model’ which defines a disabled person by their physical or mental impairment and the way it affects their ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities. Some disabled people have adopted a different approach which highlights how societal or environmental barriers can create disadvantages and actually create the ‘disability’. This is known as the ‘social model of disability’.
We hope to reflect this constructive approach and therefore provide more than the ‘reasonable adjustments’ required by the Disability Discrimination Act. In reflecting the ‘social model’, we want to learn more about removing barriers and improve our provision for different people’s information needs. Other groups of people who might particularly benefit from our accessible information policy include those with lower literacy or English language skills.
Our work
We offer a free information service which is primarily telephone and email-based, with a national focus. We aim to give clear and comprehensive advice when responding to enquiries. We are committed to producing well-presented information in both printed and web-based formats and are happy to provide alternative formats upon request. When attending public engagements, we will work together with the host organisation to make the format and resources accessible, and to adapt to individual needs where necessary.
Accessible Information Policy objectives
The main objectives of this policy are:
- to ensure that all members of the Information Service, (whether paid staff or volunteers), understand our commitment and know how to provide accessible information
- to promote the widest possible access to our service and reflect best practice in information giving, whether oral, printed or web-based
- to underline the importance of involving members of the Information Service in disability equality training.
- to enable members of the Information Service to advise other VE staff and volunteers on accessible information and equality issues
- to create an accessible information plan which can identify areas of improvement and achievement on an ongoing basis
Practicalities
• House-style
All written information produced by Volunteering England’s Information Service should be clearly presented in Arial size 12 font with clear heading and an opening summary or introduction where appropriate. We aim to write in Plain English and use a clear structure with a user-friendly tone. It is also important to avoid using jargon and to spell out acronyms when first used in a document.
• Inclusive publicity and accessibility
Our contact details should be included on written documents and always include a telephone number, fax number, email address and our textphone number. Any document or webpage which includes directions or a map for our office(s) should also give information on physical accessibility, including parking facilities, public transport, wheelchair access and lifts.
• Provision of information in alternative formats
We are committed to providing information which suits individual needs and aim to fulfil all reasonable requests for publications and other printed materials in alternative formats.
Alternative formats may include large print, CDs or cassette tapes, Braille, Moon Braille and others. (Braille is a system of reading by touch based on six dots, while Moon Braille is based on curves and lines which more closely represent print letters.) On our website, we present information in a range of html, Word and PDF formats where appropriate, and can provide information in an alternative electronic format if requested. We hope to actively develop new kinds of formats as resources and funding become available. Potential ideas include website videos, easy read versions and working with community languages.
The Information Service or other staff at Volunteering England will keep a list of suppliers and transcription agencies so that alternative formats can be produced quickly. Generally publications will only be transcribed on demand. This means that stock will not deteriorate or go out of date and we will save money by only paying for transcriptions which are needed. A clear record of all transcriptions and their sources should be kept. For a list of publications which are available in alternative formats, please see appendix one.
We intend to widely publicise our commitment to providing information in alternative formats. An example of this can be viewed in the publications section of our website. All new publications should clearly state that requests are welcome, and all lists/catalogues of Volunteering England’s range of publications should include the following text: “We would be happy to have any of our recent or forthcoming publications transcribed into alternative formats upon request”.
• Provision of auxiliary aids and services
The Information Service information line can be called via the typetalk relay service and this should be clearly stated whenever the telephone number is advertised. All members of the team should be trained in how to receive telephone relay calls. For an overview, the RNID offers a useful information sheet on this topic, available at http://www.rnid.org.uk/. The Information Service is interested in learning more about using other appropriate auxiliary aids and services and is open to suggestions, particularly regarding the information line and library.
• Training in disability awareness
All members of the Information Service should be encouraged to attend disability awareness courses as part of their induction and ongoing personal development. These courses should increase awareness of disability issues, legal requirements and the barriers experienced by people with different disabilities. They should also boost staff/volunteer confidence and improve customer satisfaction. Further courses could look at specific areas, such as how deaf awareness training could improve our service on the information line. Training costs should be included in funding bids.
Where possible, disability awareness training should be led by disabled people. The Information Service, together with the HR and Facilities Officer, keeps information on training providers and this includes training courses on disability awareness.
• User-friendliness
We aim to offer a user-friendly service. Information provided on our website should be clearly presented and easily navigable. Our information pages should be regularly reviewed and accessibility issues should be discussed with the Head of Online Services before any large amount of new content is developed for the internet. All content on Volunteering England’s website can be viewed using the site’s accessibility options and printed using the print-friendly option.
• Publicising the policy and promoting accessibility
Our Accessible Information Policy will be available to view on our website and can be provided by email, fax or post on request.
The Information Service members also hope to promote accessibility more widely, both internally and externally. We would like to contribute to increasing VE staff and volunteer awareness of accessible information and equality. We aim to be proactive and help to inform staff by organising displays or circulating materials. We are also happy to advise staff on any practical matters, such as transcription of a publication into Braille.
In addition, we plan to produce information sheets to inform volunteer-involving organisations about the importance of accessible information. In the meantime, we highlight accessibility issues whenever appropriate when responding to enquiries and refer people to resources such as:
- The Resource Disability Portfolio Guides, available on the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council website at http://www.mla.gov.uk/,
- Mencap’s Accessibility Unit available from http://www.mencap.org.uk/,
- The RNIB’s See it Right guidelines available from http://www.rnib.org.uk
- The Disability Communication Guide produced by the Employers’ Disability Forum, available from http://www.employers-forum.co.uk
We also hope to mark relevant events such as the UN International Day of Disabled Persons (3 December each year) or the European Year of Equal Opportunities for All (January to December 2007). Our reasons for doing this are to raise awareness among VE staff and their contacts, and within our membership.
• Monitoring, auditing and consulting
This Accessible Information Policy will be used to create our Accessible Information Plan. The plan will identify areas of improvement and achievement on a yearly basis and will be referred to at our regular team meetings.
The Information Service will also look into other methods of monitoring our provision of accessible information. A user-testing exercise conducted on VE’s website by a local disability advocacy organisation and involving testers from different impairment groups has highlighted areas for improvement. We have recently adopted a new method of recording enquiries to the information service, and we hope to develop new ways of analysing accessibility-related enquiries.
The Information Service is keen to consult service users about whether we are fulfilling the aims of our Accessible Information Policy. We will look into possible consultation methods, for example through Volunteering England membership surveys.
• Feedback
We would welcome feedback from service users about improving our practice in relation to our Accessible Information Policy, please call or write to the following with your comments:
Telephone the Information Line freephone on 0800 028 3304 (UK only). The Information line is normally open from Monday to Friday 10.30am -12.30pm and 2-4pm.
Deaf/hard of hearing callers: We welcome calls through Typetalk/TextDirect. Please dial 18001 followed by 0800 028 3304.
Overseas: If you are calling from outside the UK, call us on: +44 20 7520 8954
E-mail us at: Information@volunteeringengland.org
Fax us on: +44 (0)20 7520 8910
Write to us at:
Information Service
Volunteering England
Regent's Wharf
8 All Saints Street
London
N1 9RL
United Kingdom
Last updated: 17 April 2008
Please note that this Accessible Information Policy only covers the work of Volunteering England’s Information Service.
Current Information Service staff members are:
- Tracy Saunders, Policy and Information Officer
- Kate Engles, Policy and Information Officer
Appendix One:
Volunteering England publications in alternative formats (as on 4/12/2006)
Title: The Good Practice Guide, 2nd edition
Author: Kate Bowgett, Kathyrn Dickie and Mark Restall, 2002
Summary: The Volunteer Manager’s bible! Covers everything both the new and experienced volunteer manager needs to know, from criminal records screening to benefits rules, from insurance to expenses. Also includes a series of exercises suitable for both individual development and group learning or training.
Formats: large print and audio cassette
Title: Volunteers and the Law
Author: Mark Restall, 2004
Summary: A readable guide to legal issues for volunteer managers. This publication is the first of its kind dedicated to volunteering. Valuable for large and small organisations alike, Volunteers and the Law covers all the main areas of concern such as expenses, benefits, criminal record checks, health and safety, data protection and avoiding creating employment contracts.
Formats: grade 2 braille and audio CD
Title: Building on Success – Strategy for Volunteering Infrastructure in England 2004-2014
Author: Chris Penberthy and Andy Forster, 2004
Summary: Volunteering England, in consultation with the voluntary and community sector, has developed a ten-year vision and strategy for the volunteering infrastructure in England. This publication sets out that vision and strategy, together with proposals for the new core functions that the infrastructure should perform locally, regionally and nationally.
Formats: large print and grade 2 braille
Title: Branch Networks in the 21st Century : a handbook
Author: S J Butler, 2005
Summary: A branch network can bring a voluntary organisation huge benefits and strengths. But it can also present real management challenges. This publication considers how branch networks can thrive in the 21st century and asks how organisations can address the tension between control and autonomy? It also looks at how a range of different organisations work with their networks and includes numerous case studies. It will be essential reading for any voluntary organisation working with branches and groups.
Formats: large print
Title: Volunteers Across the NHS: improving the patient experience and creating a patient-led service
Author: Sheila Hawkins; Mark Restall, 2006
Summary: This publication is intended to inform local practice, and help to harmonise and regularise support for NHS volunteer involvement so that it becomes more consistent and coherent across NHS organisations. While specifically developed for the NHS context, this guidance provides a framework of best practice in volunteer management, which could be applied to volunteers engaged in a variety of health and social care settings.
Formats: large print and audio cassette
