La retórica constructivista, de la teoría a la práctica

• RNIB is the national service for supporting blind and partially sighted.

• RNIB provides alternative formats via its Peterborough branch.

• There is a need for organisations, including local authorities, to provide continual publicity, on all documents for public consumption, that alternative formats are available to blind and partially sighted people, those with dyslexia (use of different colours or audio tape), aphasia (loss of language due to stroke) and dyspraxia (mixing up of words).

• There should be customer information systems to record preferred format.

• There are two main issues:

1. Raising awareness that alternative formats are available

2. Formats themselves – people are dependent on their preferred format. Send out bills in appropriate format.

• Increasingly, in other sectors, bills are being e-mailed. If banks and Orange can do it for millions, then why not a local authority.

• All that is required is the will and the time. It’s better to adopt a 3 or 5 year plan rather than using the excuse that too much work would be involved.

• With regard to the establishment of a First Stop Shop in Walsall Council, a First Stop Shop facility needs the appropriate equipment to deliver a range of formats, for example, the facility to record on tape, the facility to increase size of format, on request, and a Word to Braille.

• Blind and partially sighted people should have access to a complaints and compliments procedure.

• Helpful, would also be, automated systems, where people can ring in and get Council information by phone.

• RNIB offers specialist advice on preparing staff, developing systems, raising awareness, evaluation and feedback.

• The Walsall Council Website can be easily changed to produce accessible information for blind and partially sighted people, via synthetic speech and/or screen enlargement. In this way, forms could be filled in, Council sponsored consultations could be carried out on any subject. By providing e-mail, it would be possible to write to the Council, provide comment, compliments and complaints.

• “See it Right” is the National Guide for making information accessible.

I. Walsall Deaf People’s Centre

• Major issues for the Deaf Centre are: 1. Supporting the community 2. Providing a service

• Deaf People need human aids to communication, that is, British Sign Language (BSL) interpreters and lip speakers. The number of BSL Interpreters is limited.

• The First Stop Shop needs Deaf Awareness Training and a videophone link, to call up an interpreter on screen, who provides English

translation.

• The Deaf People’s Centre has community Interpreters who should be available when required.

• The Deaf People’s Centre doesn’t have a contract with the Local Authority, c.f. Birmingham Institute for the Deaf that has a contract with Birmingham City Council.

• The Deaf People’s Centre Co-ordinator ensures quality monitoring. It is cheaper to hire interpreters via the Deaf People’s Centre than to get interpreters from outside the Borough.

• A 2 hr session with the Royal Institute for the Deaf (RNID) is £120 including travel.

• With the Deaf Centre, it would be £90, less overheads, an example of a local not for profit versus national agency.

• Too much taxpayer’s money leaves Walsall for services. That money could be used to strengthen local infrastructure.

• The Deaf People’s Centre would employ 1 full time and 1 part time BSL interpreter, if needed.

• The Deaf People’s Centre’s interpreters would be for a 2 hrs minimum, not 3 hrs, as is usual with freelance interpreters.

• The Deaf People’s Centre can offer training in BSL up to NVQ Level 4.

• BSL Interpreter Level 4 is the National Standard, but the British Deaf Association and the Deaf People’s Centre offer a minimum Level 3 working towards NVQ level 4.

• Not all work requires NVQ Level 4, and there are not enough Level 4s around to meet needs.

• A user’s forum could provide a benchmark of quality.

• Deaf people sometimes want an independent interpreter. The Deaf People’s Centre can be the first point of contact.

• For the First Stop Shop, - Training in Communication and Equalities for Deaf people, a 10 hr Council for the Advancement of

Communication with Deaf People (CACDP) training programme, plus training in communication tactics, e.g., to account for differing degrees of deafness.

• Walsall Deaf People’s Centre delivers a survival BSL signing training course for Wolverhampton City Council employees. The course totals 20 hours, over 10 wks x 2hrs per week

• A fluent BSL2 could deliver an adequate service, in specific situations, with further support. Someone in every Council Dept should have BSL 2.

• An Induction Loop, videophone and BSL 1 or 2, are basic elements at the front desk.

• Reception BSL 1 is a 30 week course.

• The Deaf People’s Centre has developed a half time BSL post, part funded by Walsall Council, and will make the signer available to the First Stop Shop.

• The Deaf People’s Centre is In contact with 200-250 BSL users and 500-600 with differing degrees of hearing loss.

• The RNID suggests that 18.5% of people in Walsall 40-50000 may suffer differing degrees of hearing loss.

• Walsall MBC could market the First Stop Shop via working with the Deaf People’s Centre, e.g., BSL video/CD Rom with captions and sub titles to show what Walsall MBC is offering, in partnership. There needs to be a partnership between Walsall Council and the Deaf People’s Centre.

• The Deaf People’s Centre has a contract with Walsall Housing Group, to provide BSL interpreters and to provide frontline training for staff, how they produce newsletter, how to produce articles for the deaf.

J. Walsall Disability Centre

• There is a need for a member of staff to be on hand in the First Stop Shop with BSL 2, to be able to acknowledge and offer basic

communication, dealing with initial enquiries, making appointments, providing leaflets etc.

• There is a need for deaf awareness training, blind awareness training and training in learning disabilities and on disability as a whole,

particularly for First Stop Shop front of house staff.

• A Possible Strategy for front of house staff – Ask if client has specific communication needs. Develop an enquiry sheet which would include basic contact details, ethnic monitoring and communications needs, with tick box options such as BSL, Makaton, Braille, Audio Loop

System (Fixed loop, Briefcase Loop, portable loop, pictograms, e mail, fax, minicom (should be one at First Stop Shop), landline texting facilities, plus different community languages..

• In order to contact deaf people, contact through deaf organisations and the Social Care and Supported Housing Sensory Impairment Team.