Making sure all kinds of voices are heard

We, like lots of others, are rightly challenged to make our websites accessible to as many people as possible.    We know that there are people who might find using Patient Opinion or Care Opinion difficult for a variety of reasons.  We know that we can do better in helping more people to share their experience on our websites and we actively seek to do that.

Today saw a new addition to the Patient Opinion and Care Opinion websites: video clips which we hope will make the sites more accessible for British Sign Language users.

Unbelievably it’s taken us two years to get to this stage: from researching who could help us, to costings, to determining what the clips should contain and, of course, pulling together the funding to develop them.  But we’ve done it!  As a team, we are pretty pleased and excited that these are in place.

I am particularly proud. 

My parents were both profoundly deaf and BSL users: I could say that BSL is my first language!    My sisters and I were constantly interpreting for our Mum and Dad in all sorts of personal situations from a very young age.   We became only too aware of how frustrated, embarrassed, humiliated, angry and thankful for the smallest of kindnesses our parents felt and how difficult it is to have to share the most personal or private of things through an interpreter even if it is your own flesh and blood.    This step, therefore, feels like a little salute to my Mum and Dad, just to let them know that I am here, doing my little bit, making sure voices, all kinds of voices, are being heard.

We’ve taken the opportunity to be clear about other ways the websites are more easily accessible to people with visual impairments or those whose first language is not English.     We know we can do more and we have other exciting irons in the fire! 

As always, let us know what you think about the clips and any other ideas you have.

Gina