You may have seen some info about Delib’s comms strategy during the coronavirus crisis. If you missed it, see here.

In summary, Delib has a lot of knowledge to share regarding bringing participation processes online, which a lot of public bodies are having to contend with at the moment. This post rounds up all of these resources in one place.

Hi everyone. Welcome to June!

Sorry it’s been a while; we had a week off and this roundup got pushed back due to the UK bank holiday last week.

Just a heads up: we are starting to phase out of crisis comms. If you subscribe to this roundup via email, you’ll get an update with some specifics next week. If you’d like to receive emails from us, sign up here.

Last Thursday, 28th May, we shared some resources on accessibility/readability.

  • First up: contrast levels affect accessibility. Contrast shouldn’t be too low (like white text on a yellow background) as it’s hard to read/see for people with visual impairments. Here’s a handy tool to check contrast ratios on your site.
  • 2. This article goes into further detail on contrast ratios, the minimum levels, and when they should apply.
  • 3. The average reading age in the UK is 9 years old – so if you’re consulting the general public, consider running a reading age check on your next consultation. The language should be as simple as possible with minimal jargon. You can check reading age with this tool.
  • 4. This is a great article on readability, including a section on reading age, as well as how formatting can increase or decrease readability and comprehension of your text or site.
  • 5. Read about how the Independent Review of Learning Disability & Autism in the Scottish Mental Health Act (IRMHA) used things like easy-read surveys and explanatory pictures to conduct ‘the most accessible review of a law that [they] are aware of’ in 2019.
  • 6. Lastly, Delib’s experience and examples of how accessibility and ease-of-use increase response rate for public engagements. Read on the blog.

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A reminder that if you have any feedback or suggestions, Dani is our content editor and would be happy to hear them. Get in touch on Twitter or send her an email.

Stay safe, everyone, and have a good week.