Mark Starford Board Resource Center, USA
Plain Language for Democracy and Citizenship
Cathy Basterfield Access Easy English, Australia
Our Presentation
Basic Rights
Case Stories
Challenges Strategies
Literacy Data
Increased • Life quality • Participation
Healthcare Finances
Engagement
Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) United Nations Treaty, 2006
Key Principles • Equal opportunity • Full participation and inclusion in society • Disability accepted as a part of human diversity • Accessibility (community, information)
• Greater access to community life
• Public information in easy read format and Braille
• Access to technology
• Qualified support to get important information
Article 9 – Accessibility
CRPD Key Articles
Article 12 – Equal recognition under the law
• Abuse prevention
• Own or inherit property
• Control financial affairs
• Legal safeguards
CRPD Key Articles
Article 29 – Participation in political life • Voting procedures and facilities accessible
• Materials easy to understand and use
• Secret ballot with support
• Hold office
CRPD Key Articles
Living the Treaty
Article 9: Access to information and technology
Article 12: Same rights under the law
Article 11: Protection in risky situations
Article 7: Children treated equally
Article 27: Work, equal job rights and pay
Article 19: Being part of the community
Australia Channel 7, Melbourne Australia June 5, 2013
http://au.news.yahoo.com/today-tonight/latest/article/-/17489370/adult-illiteracy/
United States
American Illiteracy YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LghnA2XbuU
Who are we talking about?
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
Australia 2006
Australia 2013
USA 2006 USA 2013
non functional literacy functional literacy
% adults 15-74 yrs.
Australia and USA literacy data 2006 and 2013
Literacy data from OECD countries 2006
% adults 15-74 yrs
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
non functional literacy functional literacy
Snapshot
More likely to:
Live in poverty, underemployed
Have poor health
Be involved in the justice system
Be less engaged in community life
Data Reveals
Who are we talking about?
People: Seniors
Diverse cultural backgrounds
Poor educational outcomes
Acquired and lifelong disabilities
Hearing impaired community
Mental and physical illness
Also people who are:
Time poor
Stressed
Caregivers
Low comprehension readers
Who are we talking about?
About Mary
Crafts & activity groups Church & activities
U3A lecturer
Outer suburban semi-rural
Volunteer Committee member
Massive stroke January 2012
Mary
Age 65 wife, mother, grandmother
Vision Attention and concentration Tiredness Reading and understanding Medical knowledge and terminology Understanding health related costs Rehabilitation choices & home modifications Initial stroke phase and later needs Husband’s lack of medical knowledge, stressed
About Mary
Some written materials
Useful
Our dream for Mary
Now &
Later
$$ Financial information Rehabilitation
choices and options
Emergency information
Exercise and rehab
program
Leisure access options
Information for husband – now the carer
New life together Expectations and changes
New medical status and
risks
About Karen
Lives alone Support:
4 hours week
Karen
Age 45 single mother Supportive
extended family
No use of technology
Mild intellectual and other disabilities
Limited education
General knowledge limited to life experience
Functional reading (bills, simple recipes)
Limited community connections
Support required to use government services
About Karen
Health information Preventative and medicines
Government Entitlements Housing, pension, child support
Employment Resources
Civic participation Voting and community engagement Leisure activities Financial management General knowledge
Karen’s needs - some
Some needs are met ...Medical
Consent forms
Preventative information
0
Some needs are met ...Government
Dad and Partner pay brochure
But lots of reports......
0
Some needs are met ...Employment
Safety at work
0
Some needs are met ...Civic participation
Victorian Election 2012
Survey
Relationships
0
Some needs are met ...Safety
Red Cross - International
NSW police safety fact sheets
NSW Police
0
Our dream for Karen
Now and later
And more Bills Future
planning - money
Newspapers & magazines
Websites Rights & laws
Government information
About Miguel
Age 32 Single
Miguel
High school
Bilingual Urban
Lives at home
Activist-Advocate
About Miguel
Interested in civil rights and advocacy Limited literacy in English and Spanish Mild developmental impairment Never employed – government entitlements Family provides care support
About Miguel
Board member - $140 million case management agency
Chair, peer advocacy council
Represents over 10,000 peers
Limited “facilitation” support for positions
Never received governance training
Miguel needs
• Board meeting structure modified
• Meeting materials adapted
• Governance training
• Qualified “meeting facilitation” support: before – during - after
• A job!
Some needs are met
http://www.brcenter.org/BRC_Board_Training/publications.shtml
FOR AGENCIES: Accessible meeting organization handbook
FOR FACILITATORS Training manual
FOR MIGUEL: Online governance training
About Jane
Jane
Age 52 Grandmother
Limited education
Activist-Advocate
Mental health challenges
Fixed Income
About Jane
Not employed – government entitlement
Lives at the poverty level
Has significant debt - “payday loan” scheme
Hides personal financial crisis
Does not understand tax procedures and forms
Understand money and numeracy
Learn about loans, interest and terms
Understand “Payday loans”
Learn about and follow a budget
Begin future planning
Competent support staff
Professional mental health support
Jane needs
Some needs being met
Money management Decision making process
Mental health website Supports and services
Support team –getting trained
Think about new policies or practices that can make accessible information available to people with low literacy.
Opportunities
Turn to the person beside you
Opportunities
Policies Practices
Think about new policies or practices that can make accessible information available to people with low literacy.
Challenges
Think about what are the challenges to developing documents for people with low literacy.
Turn to the person beside you
The silent % of those with low literacy
Social inclusion and participation
Equal opportunity
Civic engagement
The message Plain Language for Democracy and Citizenship
Mark Starford Board Resource Center, USA
Cathy Basterfield Access Easy English, Australia