Oxleas “Can you understand it?” group
| Pages | 268-270 |
| Published date | 02 July 2014 |
| Date | 02 July 2014 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/AMHID-05-2014-0019 |
| Author | Can you understand it group |
| Subject Matter | Health & social care,Learning & intellectual disabilities,Accounting education |
Oxleas “Can you understand it?”group
“Can you understand it?”group
“Can you understand it?”
group, London, UK.
Abstract
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to describe the development and work of the “Can you understand
it?”group, which supports services in developing accessible information for people with intellectual
disabilities.
Design/methodology/approach – Members describe their experiences of working with the “Can you
understand it?”group.
Findings – Group members found the group to be a positive experience. They report that they have supported
a range of services in making information easier for people with intellectual disabilities to understand.
Originality/value – This paper will reinforce the importance of making information accessible to people
with intellectual disabilities and that people with intellectual disabilities themselves should be involved in the
process to assure quality.
Keywords Intellectual disability, Learning disability, Accessible information, Easy read
Paper type Case study
The “Can you understand it?” group was set up in 2009 in order to ensure information produced
for people with an intellectual disability was in a format that was easy to understand and
informative.
Initially the group consisted of four members users and four staff. The members take great
pride in their work and have acquired important skills to be able to look at a piece of work
constructively and make useful recommendations for improvement. As a group they have a lot
of respect and support for each other. They are enthusiastic and committed. They won an
Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust “Recognition Award” in 2010 for their contribution to the trust.
The group has increased to nine members from the London Boroughs of Bexley, Bromley and
Greenwich. The aim is for the members to ultimately lead the group with support from staff.
The group is looking forward to producing a bi-annual newsletter and having its own logo.
The group continues to receive numerous requests for documentation to be reviewed. Work is
being requested from within and also outside Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust. Last year they
reviewed the complaints film “Your right to be heard”, that is currently available on the Oxleas
web site. They made recommendations to make the film easier to understand for people with an
intellectual disability. They have also reviewed leaflets produced for general hospitals to explain
to people with an intellectual disability what happens at Accident & Emergency departments
and at discharge. The group were also asked to visit a new building which was to accommodate
a community intellectual disability service to decide if it was accessible for people with an
intellectual disability and physical disability.
How the group works
The group meets on a monthly basis. Information to be reviewed is sent to the group
accompanied by a review form which details when the information needs to be reviewed by and
name of the author.
The Oxleas “Can you understand
it?” group includes: Sunny Solkhal,
Zac Spencer, Lorraine Mason,
Dennis Haywood, Sarah Casey,
James Holmes and staff members
Sharon Rodrigues (ALD Patient
Information Project worker) and
Naz Bocus (Senior Support
Worker), Oxleas NHS Foundation
Trust.
Group members use the term
“learning disability”. This is the
term used in the UK to describe
“intellectual disability”.
PAGE 268
j
ADVANCES IN MENTAL HEALTH AND INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES
j
VOL. 8 NO. 4 2014, pp. 268-270, CEmeraldGroup Publishing Limited, ISSN 2044-1282 DOI 10.1108/AMHID-05-2014-0019
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