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Published by Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations

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RNIB offers coronavirus advice in braille

This news post is over 3 years old
 

A recent survey found many Scots with sight loss struggled to find vital information.

RNIB Scotland is offering braille versions of the Scottish Government’s Test and Protect guidance on coronavirus.

The move comes after a survey found one in four Scots with sight loss had struggled to access information in a format they could understand, sparking concerns that many could miss out on vital health advice while the crisis is ongoing.

The charity has now partnered with the government to produce a range of materials covering Covid-19 guidelines which are accessible to those who are blind or partially-sighted.

James Adams, director of RNIB Scotland, said: "In the current situation accessible healthcare information is more essential than ever. It is vitally important everyone knows how to keep themselves and their community safe, and that blind and partially sighted people, who can be particularly vulnerable, are kept informed of new developments and guidance.”

RNIB is also urging businesses and other organisations to consider accessibility when they produce materials.

"Even people who don't consider themselves sight-impaired can sometimes struggle with very small print, or with text that doesn't have a sharp enough contrast with the background colour," Mr Adams said.

"Much information is now communicated electronically or online. For people who use screen-reading software - which reads out text on websites or emails - this might not seem a problem. But some graphics can still confuse screen-readers, such as text superimposed on images, photos that don't have alt-tags, text that is justified on both sides, or even just sentences that don't end with a full-stop.

"That's why it's absolutely vital that we give full consideration to how accessible our communications are."

Braille copies of Scottish Government Test and Protect information materials relating to the current coronavirus situation can be obtained from the RNIB website.

Test and Protect information is also available in audio and large-print format, as well as other languages and formats, from the Scottish Government website.

 

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