The Inclusive Journey

Accessibility starts long before someone enters a building, attends an appointment or receives support. It begins the moment they try to find, understand and access a service.

We need to be asking;

• Can they find the information?
• Can everyone understand it?
• Can people book an appointment in a way that works for them?
• Can they travel there?
• Can they communicate their needs?
• Can they access support in a way that is meaningful to them?
  

This thinking has led me to develop the Inclusive Journey Toolkit, built around a simple principle:

The appointment does not start when someone enters the room. It starts when they first try to access your service.
I've broken it down to 9 principles: 

1. Find me - how easy can your service be found, is your website easy to navigate, does it have easy to read information in different formats. Do people know about you and how to get to you? Is there multiple contact methods
2. Contact Me - Have you recorded communication needs, time of call? preferred contact method? Primary language? 
3. Help me get there Consider access via public transport, community transport, home visit, digital/virtual visit, step-free access, clear directions 
4. Welcome me Clear signage, navigation around, someone to support navigation, hearing loop, quiet waiting areas sensory support aids, accessible toilets, wheelchair/mobility aid friendly access, family carer welcome, deafblind awareness, dementia friendly setting. 
5. Understand me Looking beyond the disability as to what really matters to a person, what pronoun they wished to be referred to as, preferred name, gender identity, sexual orientation not to be presumed and respected, if support network should be included as per their wishes a carer or support worker, friend or family member or advocate and respecting culture and beliefs and personal preferences. 
6. Communicate with me Understanding and utilising all effective communication and preferences via  face to face, via telephone, email, or video call, communication app/ device/ with interpreter if needed in good time provide information in variety of formats easy read/ audio/ large print / BSL / Deafblind interpretation/braille/ email/text and getting the additional support timely.
7. Support me -Ensure you are tailoring all to the person and their needs and to regularly check to see if needs are still being met. Whether that be accessibility support, sensory support or adjustments of appointments  
8. Follow up with me Check to see if they are happy with outcomes and what is happening next, is there an action plan has information been provided that is understood? 
9. Learn from me Ensure you have a feedback system, that you are learning from your complaints and sharing your improvements. Ask if there is anything you can do better to improve service. 

Holding yourself accountable to this inclusive journey toolkit will help improve engagement and reduce complaints.