E-Bulletin : April 2018

It's shortly back to "work" for us all - at a local level as Term 2 approaches, and for the Network after a successful Conference and Annual General Meeting.

Over 80 representatives from more than 35 U3As attended the Conference in Canberra from 11th to 13th April, including three delegates from Western Australia and one from Tasmania who travelled at their own expense to attend. Feedback about the Conference was overwhelmingly positive, and much of value was learnt. Reports from the various sessions and presenters will be available over coming weeks through E-Bulletins, Newslink and our website. The AGM was also well attended, with all Special Motions containing changes to the Constitution passed. Minutes will also be posted on our website shortly.

Planning for next year's Conference is already underway, so put its location, Tamworth, and the dates 10th to 12th April 2019 into your diaries. 

Please share this E-Bulletin with other members of your Committee, and invite them to subscribe here so they can receive our communications directly themselves. We welcome feedback and submissions for distribution to member U3As - you can contact us by clicking here.

Supporting Members with Vision Loss

Awareness

The first step in increasing accessibility is for Committees to know which members are experiencing vision loss and what their needs are. Your membership application form could be used to ask for this information, with an explanation of why the information is being collected and what it will be used for, in accordance with privacy and data protection legislation.

Providing Accessible Information

When producing text documents, remember:

• Light letters on a dark background are easier to read than dark on light.
• Avoid coloured lettering other than for large text titles. Dark blue and greens are the most effective.
• Ideal font size 18, minimum 16.
• Use either a standard Roman or Sans Serif font; Arial works well. Avoid decorative fonts, use bold type, avoid italics.
• Spacing between text should be wide; text with close letter spacing presents problems. A mono-spaced font such as Courier, which allocates an equal amount of space for each letter, is very readable.
• Avoid paper with a glossy finish.

Consider engaging a volunteer to explain (in person or over the telephone) what courses/classes are available, and to provide information on whether they are suitable for people with different levels of vision loss.

Increasing Accessibility in Groups and Meetings

• Provide seating close to the front to allow members with some vision loss to be as close to any visual displays as possible.
• Try to reduce glare from windows and lights, for instance by positioning seating with the back to windows.
• Provide copies of presentations for use on a member’s own laptop, which is usually adapted for specific needs.
• Use a room layout that allows participants to use their hearing more easily to follow what is going on, for instance in horse-shoe or boardroom layouts.
• Ensure that tutors/conveners are informed in sufficient time ahead of the event of any requests for specific arrangements that need to be made .

Equipment to Consider

There is a range of assistive technology products available, such as:

• Magnifiers: these can be hand-held or digital.
• Computer software: can be used to convert text to speech.
• Computer hardware: helps to produce documents in easy to read formats by adjusting zoom, glare, contrast and style.
• Audio-description: cinemas, museums and galleries often provide headsets with an additional narration track.
• Braille technology: to produce documents in braille.