| European Blind Union
The Access to Information Principles
Contents
Foreword by Colin Low, Chair of the European Blind Union Working
Group on Access to Information.
The European Blind Union has produced these guidelines to help
you make your information accessible to your blind and partially sighted
customers. This booklet shows you that making information accessible is
not complicated and that it can make a real difference for your
organisation or business in reaching out to a wide customer base.
There are 7.4 million blind and partially sighted people in the European
Union and many more in the whole of Europe. As people are living longer
the number of people with sight problems is increasing as sight problems
are closely associated with old age. For businesses or public
authorities, this means that an increasing number of your customers will
be blind or partially sighted.
In the next pages of this booklet you will find a good indication of the
main factors you should consider in order to get your message across to
all consumers.
Why should you produce your information in a way that all your
customers can read ?
First of all, it's fair. Information helps all of us to make decisions,
be involved in society and lead independent lives. Blind and partially
sighted people have the right to be able to do this just like every
other citizen. Furthermore, it makes good business sense. Blind and
partially sighted people make up a sizeable customer base in Europe
which cannot be ignored.
How do blind and partially sighted people read ?
Blind and partially sighted people read information in different ways.
For many partially sighted people, well-designed print information makes
a real difference. Others will need information in a different format to
standard print, depending on whether they use an audio tape player,
magnifier, scanner or computer with voice or braille output to read
information. The alternative formats could be large print, audio tape,
braille or electronic formats such as computer disk or websites.
Different people have different preferences and one format will not suit
everyone. This is why you should opt for offering a range of formats.
But, isn't it expensive to produce information in different formats ?
Making information accessible is often cheaper and easier than many
people think. When compared with how much your company or organisation
spends on standard print information, the cost is probably very small.
Adopting clear print guidelines can be done immediately and at virtually
no cost.
How do you begin ?
One way to make sure that your organisation is meeting the needs of all
its customers is to develop accessible information policy guidelines,
similar to the ones you find in this booklet.
Look at the information you produce and prioritise it. Some of it should
be available from the outset in formats other than standard print. For
example information for wide circulation or material covering health
issues aimed at older people. Other information should be made available
in different formats when a customer requests it.
When you produce information in a range of formats from the outset, they
should be of good quality, available at the same price, and produced at
the same time as the standard print. This means that when you are
planning a publication, it is essential to plan the production of the
alternative formats at the same time as planning your standard print
version.
Your accessible information policy guidelines will help you do this by
making the production of alternative formats part of the planning
process. They will also raise staff awareness of the needs of blind and
partially sighted customers. The European Union has set a good example
here by ensuring that its publications budget contains provision for the
production of alternative formats alongside standard print.
Once you have produced your alternative formats, you need to let your
customers know they are available. Unfortunately, many blind and
partially sighted people have low expectations of getting information in
a way they can read so they don't ask for it. This is often
misinterpreted by organisations as a lack of demand.
Every print publication should have a clear, large print statement in a
prominent place about the availability of alternative formats. Local
radio, public libraries and organisations for blind and partially
sighted people are also useful ways to reach people with sight loss.
I hope that this booklet inspires you and your business or organisation
to make your information accessible to your blind and partially sighted
customers in this European Year of People with Disabilities and beyond.
Colin Low
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1. International recognition of the right to information
Access to information is very important to ensure that blind and
partially sighted people are not excluded from important sectors of
social and economic life.
This right to information is internationally recognised:
"Everyone shall have the right to freedom of expression. This right
shall include the freedom to seek, receive and impart information and
ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers, either orally, in writing
or in print, in the form of art, or through any other media of his
choice." International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights,
Article 19 (2).
"States should develop strategies to make information services and
documentation accessible for different groups of persons with
disabilities. Braille, tape services, large print and other appropriate
technologies should be used to provide access to written information and
documentation for persons with visual impairments." UN Standard
Rules on the Equalisation of Opportunities for Persons with
Disabilities, Rule 5 (b) 6 (Access to information and communication).
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2. The right to information applied in practice
All information aimed at the general public should be made
available in alternative formats for blind and partially sighted people
(braille, tape, large print, disk), without undue delay and at no
additional cost.
- All other documents should be provided in alternative formats on
request.
- Information provided over the Internet should be fully accessible
to blind and partially sighted people.
- The availability of alternative formats should be widely
advertised and promoted.
- Information provision budgets should include the cost of producing
alternative formats.
- Representatives of blind and partially sighted people should be
included in discussions on the production of materials, particularly
for information campaigns.
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3. Developing an accessible information strategy
Blind and partially sighted people have the same information
needs as everyone else. Establishing an accessible information strategy
will ensure that blind and partially sighted people are not excluded
from receiving information aimed at all EU citizens.
The strategy should contain both guidelines for producing accessible
information and a section on staff training and awareness.
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3.1 Guidelines for producing accessible information
Guidelines for producing accessible information should contain
both a section on overall good practice regarding printed as well as
electronic information, and a section on alternative formats.
3.1.1 Overall good practice : thinking about
3.1.1.1 Printed information
Clear print
Good standards of print legibility help all readers. Problems reading
badly designed publications are not just limited to blind and
partially sighted people. Clear print benefits everyone. Producing
information in legible print is neither difficult nor expensive.
Basic clear print guidelines should include information on :
- Print size
EBU recommends that a minimum point size of 12 point should be
used for standard print documents.
- Colour and contrast
Use a bold, strong contrast between text and paper eg. black text
on white paper
- Typeface
Avoid fancy or bizarre typefaces. If possible use a common
sans-serif typeface like Arial or Helvetica.
- Overall design and layout
Use left justification and allow for equal spacing between words,
and generous spacing between paragraphs. In general, columns that
are too narrow should be avoided. It is recommended to use two
columns when text is printed on A4 size paper.
- Do not use all capitals for blocks of text. But important
information, such as headings, names and telephone numbers, should
be highlighted in a prominent position and in bold print.
- Paper
Use good quality paper which does not look glossy or show print on
the reverse side.
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3.1.1.2. Electronic information
- Computer disks and CD-roms
Information in an electronic format, eg a computer disk or a
CD-rom, may be the preferred format of blind and partially sighted
people with access to computers, who use speech synthesizers,
braille keyboards, large print displays and other innovations to
access the information. All electronic information should be made
available in an open text format allowing the text to be read on
all kinds of word processing software. PDF files must be avoided
since PDF is not an open text format.
- Websites
The advent of the World Wide Web means that many blind and
partially sighted people are now able to assess information that
was previously unavailable to them by utilising speech or braille
access technology. However some methods of presenting information
result in websites which are unreadable by blind and partially
sighted people. All websites should follow the Web Accessibility
Initiative (WAI) guidelines, which are available from the EBU
Office.
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3.1.1.3. Alternative formats
- Large print
This means providing print in a larger font than 'standard'. A
minimum of 16 point should be used for large print documents, but
for some blind and partially sighted people up to 20 point text
may be required.
As the majority of printed information is generated by word
processors, it is possible to print off copies in the size
requested to meet individual needs.
It is recommended that large print be used as a matter of course
for any documents aimed at older people, who are more likely to
have a sight problem.
- Braille
The numbers of blind and partially sighted people able to read
braille is small but for these people it is a crucial medium.
Braille is a method of reading by touch using a system of raised
dots. There are dot combinations which correspond to letters of
the alphabet, punctuation and common letter groups.
Almost any information can be put into braille - from bus
timetables to music.
A braille translation program and a braille embosser are needed to
produce braille in-house. The braille translation program converts
the text into a format that can be outputted to a braille embosser
i.e. a braille 'printer'. However, there are many external
agencies who can produce braille for you (see below).
- Audio tape
Audio tape is an effective means of communication. Tapes could
also help people with low literacy levels and people with learning
difficulties.
Basic desktop recorders and microphones can be used for in-house
tape production. However it is advisable to use an external
transcription company for multiple copies, long documents or for
complex information.
- Talking books and E-books
Talking books are books recorded on cassettes or CDs or produced
in other formats if preferred. Many E-books are considered to be
talking books. Talking books must have a commercial standard. It
must be possible to use them with equipment that is specially
designed for blind and partially sighted people, but also with
standard equipment.
DAISY (Digital Audio-based Information System) is an example of a
good commercial standard. DAISY is a system of hard and software
used to record, store, transfer and read talking books.
- Computer disk / CD-rom
Computer disks (or perhaps CD-roms) may be the preferred format of
blind and partially sighted people with access to computers. If
providing information on disk, the file should be in more than one
format i.e. Word and Text to ensure that it is readable by a blind
or partially sighted person.
- Transcription services
Many organisations find it more convenient and cost-effective to
use an external transcription company. Contact the EBU Office for
further information about local transcription agencies for braille
and tape.
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3.2 Staff training and awareness
Staff awareness can be increased by publicising the adoption of the
guidelines, by distributing a leaflet giving basic information about
the production of alternative formats and by providing visual
awareness training.
3.2.1 What should it cover ?
- Basic facts and figures about visual impairment.
- Information about the tools and equipment used by blind and
partially sighted people to read.
- Information about different formats : what are they ?
- Organisational policies on how to produce information in
different formats.
- Face-to-face training sessions.
- Production of information packs and facts sheets.
- Sources of further information and advice, for example European
Blind Union.
3.2.2 Who should be targeted ?
- Staff who are involved with the development of policies,
procedures and practices.
- Frontline staff meeting blind and partially sighted people
face-to-face.
- Those staff who are involved in dealing with people by telephone
or through written correspondence.
- Those staff who are involved in practical production of
information.
- Those staff involved with the design and production of all
information and particularly information which has been decided as
priority for production in alternative formats.
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4. Contacts for further information
4.1. European Blind Union offices
The European Blind Union will be glad to provide its considerable
expertise in these areas to advise and assist in the development of an
accessible information policy.
European Blind Union
58, Avenue Bosquet
75007 Paris (France)
Telephone : +33 1 470 538 20
Fax : +33 1 470 538 21
E-mail : EBU_UEA@compuserve.com
Website : www.euroblind.org
Director : Mr. Mokrane Boussaid
Brussels Information Unit :
24 avenue des Arts / bte.21
B-1000 Brussels (Belgium)
Telephone : +32 2 280 33 28
Fax : +32 2 230 88 92
E-mail : ebu.cleu@skynet.be
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4.2
European Blind Union members
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