[NIFL-HEALTH:3630] Communications and visual impairments

From: Helen Osborne (helen@healthliteracy.com)
Date: Wed Mar 27 2002 - 14:40:49 EST


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From: "Helen Osborne" <helen@healthliteracy.com>
To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-health@literacy.nifl.gov>
Subject: [NIFL-HEALTH:3630] Communications and visual impairments
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To my NIFL-Health colleagues,

Perhaps you can help. I was recently contacted by a student getting his MBA
in Design Management. He wants to know more about "the impact of graphic
communications/typography on the visually impaired, not only those currently
labelled 'blind', but as a much broader issue in the face of a large ageing
population. " He is particularly interested in how this issue pertains to
healthcare, and is searching for "a sense of the specific, practical issues
that people face, and the way in which small, incremental improvements can
sometimes make a big difference in people's lives."

The student asked 4 questions (see below) that perhaps you can help me
answer. You can either reply to this e-mail and we can all read your
response, or send a message privately to me at helen@healthliteracy.com and
I will summarize your answers.

Thanks, as always.
~Helen

Helen Osborne, M.Ed., OTR/L
Health Literacy Consulting, Natick, MA
Phone: 508-653-1199
E-mail: helen@healthliteracy.com
Web site: http://www.healthliteracy.com
***************************************************
The questions are:
1. What are some of the most important practical issues impacting healthcare
access with respect to
graphic communications? e.g.: print materials, drug packaging, healthcare
facility signage, web-based
information, etc?

2. Put another way, what are the lifestyle/health-related issues of the
visually impaired that could be assisted w/ improved graphic communication
materials?

3. In your experience, what are the barriers to implementing change? e.g.:
money, lack of appreciation
& understanding of the issue, politics, bureaucracy, lack of
research/quantified data, all of the above?

4. Any critical issues I may not have identified on which you have a unique
perspective?



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