Girlguiding UK and A2i join forces to make adventure accessible

Bromford Housing Group has greatly improved accessibility to services for young members, by providing information and fun-filled handbooks for visually impaired enthusiasts in colourful Large Print. Read on to find out the solutions that A2i was able to offer, to help meet their needs...

Customer: Girlguiding UK
Services: Production of Large Print

Girlguiding UK is the largest youth organisation for girls in the country. Opening up a world of opportunities that will last a lifetime, it provides a safe, girl-only environment in which to experience activities and challenges, and explore issues facing girls today.

The spectrum of activities is enormous, ranging from outdoor challenges to learning new skills and from international travel to involvement in community action projects.

To keep track of activities, record experiences and manage a variety of important information, in 2005 Girlguiding UK developed a handbook for Guides, aged 10-14, called the G file.

A year later, the organisation approached A2i to help them develop a large print version of the G file that would be suitable for visually-impaired girls. Girlguiding UK wanted to retain as much of the original design as possible including all photos, diagrams, colourful shapes and backgrounds, as well as the stickers in the back. This would ensure that visually-impaired Guides wouldn't miss out on anything and would have the same fun in using the handbook as everyone else.

The large print version would also have to fit into the A5-sized ring binders that Girlguiding UK uses to secure the G files.

After a thorough consultation with the client, A2i's team began to redesign the G file within the constraints given. To make the G file accessible, A2i had to adjust several design features, including using different colour combinations to make them suitable for people with visual impairment, repositioning large print text and images, and redesigning stickers to accommodate large type.

Following approval of the design by Girlguiding UK, A2i produced an initial 100 copies of the large print G file. The organisation and its members were delighted with the result. A2i had managed to produce a G file that appears extremely similar to the original version, ensuring that visually impaired Guides don't feel any different from their fully-sighted peers. Additionally, the company’s 'one-stop' solution had provided cost efficiencies as well as high-quality consultation, design services and production.

Pat Wheatley, administrative assistant at Girlguiding UK wrote: "Thank you for the excellent work on our Guide G file for visually-impaired young members. I know this resource will go a long way to support girls and the leaders and will be very much appreciated."

The organisation has since ordered the conversion to large print of another Girlguiding UK document with very similar problems, requirements and solutions.

With the introduction of the large print G file, Girlguiding UK has made certain that it meets requirements laid down by the Disability Discrimination Act, and more importantly that it helps all visually impaired members to enjoy the guiding experience to the full.

For more information about A2i's Large Print and other transcription services please visit our website or contact us:

Email: info@a2i.co.uk
Tel: 01179 70 70 90

US is forced by the courts to help the visually impaired

In our July 2007 newsletter we reported on the difficulties visually impaired people in the United States face with their money, and the legal proceedings that were taking place at the time to try to change the situation.

Last week there was a new court ruling that should now guarantee change for the better for visually impaired people...

US dollar banknotes, from a $US1 bill up to a $US100 note, are exactly the same size. Until recent subtle changes in background colours, they were all also the same colour.

A large proportion of other countries including the UK, the Euro countries, Australia, Canada, Malaysia and Japan use colours, colour contrast, note size and engraved or raised shapes in various combinations to help people with low or no sight distinguish notes from each other.

At the end of 2006 a US federal judge ruled that the government should reshape notes to make them identifiable for visually impaired people. He believed the current notes were discriminatory against people with visual impairments, and were therefore illegal.

The Government took the case to the US federal appeals court - the main point of their argument being that it would be too expensive to change the notes as all vending machines across the country, for example, would have to be changed.

However, the federal appeals court judges voted two to one to uphold the initial ruling, that having all dollar notes the same size and texture was unacceptable, and have told the US government they must change them.

The Treasury Department said it was reviewing the ruling.

A2i will keep you updated on any more developments in the future.

Did you know...

According to documents filed in the US case court discussed in article two above, 937,000 people in the US are legally blind while another 2.4 million count as having low vision, meaning they are unable to read newspaper print.

Source: BBC