Accessibility in Communication: A Breakfast & Learn to Promote Inclusion

By Anna Matamala and Carme Pratdesaba, from the AccessCat Network.

A very enriching Breakfast & Learn, led by Anna Matamala, Director of the AccessCat Network and principal researcher at TransMedia Catalonia (UAB), and Carme Pratdesaba, promoter of the AccessCat Network.

Accessibility goes beyond physical adaptation . It is essential to incorporate it into all areas , from communication to digital services , to guarantee the full inclusion of all people.  

Key points:

What is accessibility?
Accessibility is not limited to the physical realm; it is also social, sensory and cognitive. It should not be associated exclusively with disability, as it benefits all of society. In an increasingly digital world, ensuring accessible content and services is essential for equal opportunities.

Keys to accessible research and transfer:

• Detection of needs: knowing and understanding individual cases to offer appropriate support. 
• Address the participant, not the companion 
• Accessible informed consents: they must be clear and easy to understand for everyone, including people with disabilities.
• Take into account the spaces where the activities or experiments will be carried out, they must be adapted and accessible to everyone. 
• Provide an accessible return of results, which all participants can receive and understand.
• To achieve effective accessibility through design, it is necessary to label the language, structure information hierarchically, use appropriate styles, and ensure color contrast, among other good practices. This facilitates access for all users and reduces costs in the long term. 

Some resources:

• 15-minute training capsules on communicative accessibility (Basic accessibility regulations, audio description, etc.): Check out the training capsules

• Access to the catalog of technologies and services: AccessCat Catalog

This session was an opportunity to learn how to integrate accessibility into daily work , ensuring that all processes are accessible from the beginning.