Accessible telecommunications information for people with communication impairment

Study investigating the telecommunication information needs of people with communication disabilities in Australia. Participants were informed about the project through flyers, letters, e-mail, disability agency contacts, and Web sites. A survey with multiple choice and closed and open-ended items was developed. People with communication disabilities used a hard-copy survey format to facilitate completion. Sixty-five participants age eighteen and over from Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia, and Queensland completed the survey. Preliminary results of the study indicated that the participants requested six text-based adaptations: (1) make information clear and easy to read and understand, (2) use larger print, (3) highlight the key points, (4) use dot points, (5) use visual information, such as photos and communication symbols, and (6) provide a range of oral/audio and visual formats for information. The accessibility characteristics requested by the participants called for the development of text and Web-based formats, and for the development of inclusive design guidelines. The authors concluded that further investigation was required to determine the best possible method of making the information accessible.