Chapter 2: ALTERNATE FORMATS
Assistive Technology Manual

GENERAL GUIDELINES
FONT SIZE GUIDELINES

GENERAL GUIDELINES

Dissemination and Utilization

The goal of dissemination is utilization: the use of the information by an intended audience (or audiences). Attending to user needs early in dissemination planning will help promote the use of information by targeted groups. If dissemination is considered at each step of the research effort, changes can be noted and incorporated as needed. A responsive dissemination plan will result in providing information that user groups want, in user-friendly formats that will promote its use.

What does "user-friendly" mean? Generally, it means something that is designed to be easily understood by people with little previous experience or background. The user must define what is beneficial and understandable. Sharing information from research outcomes in user-friendly formats requires researchers to consider the needs of a variety of audiences. What is 'friendly' to one group may not facilitate or encourage use of the information by a different audience.

Alternate Formats Increase Accessibility of Information

The results of NIDRR-funded research are reported and available to a select audience, primarily other researchers. These results may not be widely accessible to others, including people with disabilities, their families, advocates, or direct service providers (Edwards, 1991). There is a clear distinction between the availability of information--which may mean, for example, that a scholarly article is published in a professional journal, and the accessibility of information--which implies "ease of access and simplicity of use" (Westbrook, 1996).

When you disseminate information for the purpose of utilization, you must be sensitive to the difference between producing an alternate format and providing accessible information. In discussing accessibility, the usual focus is on alternate formats for written materials. The production of alternate formats should not be confused with the accessibility of information. Producing an alternate format does not mean that you have made your information accessible to people with disabilities, if none of your potential users required that format (Westbrook, 1996).

Accessibility of information is determined by the user. Consumers must be able to choose the format or formats that they prefer.  Once this is determined, the production of a specific format enhances informed decision-making and accessibility (Westbrook, 1996).

Policies Help Define Approaches to Accessibility

Policies are important opportunities for leaders to describe new ideals and new ways to achieve those ideals. The U.S. Department of Education (ED) has a policy regarding dissemination to people with disabilities. The "Policy Statement on Making Materials and Information Available and Accessible to Individuals with Disabilities" highlights areas that grantees should consider in developing their own policy statements.

ED's policy addresses the following important areas [adapted from The Research Exchange, Vol. 1, No. 2, 1996]:

• clarification of the regulations that support a need for the policy and a "standard" of action (Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended).
• identification of your intended information users and the way in which your choices of format and distribution are designed to positively affect utilization; the ED policy addresses intended users as anyone who may benefit from the activities of ED such as employees, applicants, program participants, personnel of other Federal entities, and members of the public who have disabilities.
• description of how a policy on dissemination assists in reaching the organization's stated mission, for example, ED states that its policy on dissemination supports the mission "to ensure equal access to education and to promote educational excellence throughout the nation."
• clarification of how you intend to achieve accessibility or "ease of access and simplicity of comprehension and use," for example, ED states that unless there are fundamental alterations or financial and administrative burden created, all documents will be produced in the format most usable by the requester.
• identification of specific steps that will be taken to ensure that general public awareness of the availability of alternate formats of your material is planned; in ED's case, their policy addresses providing such information at display booths and on publication request forms in addition to the inclusion of special notices in all materials produced.
• specification regarding the timeliness of acquiring information via alternate formats, in other words, will all alternate format versions be available simultaneously or can an "acceptable delay and preparation" time frame be established?
• description of the strategies that are to be followed to implement the policy; the ED policy, for example, discusses administrative structures that will support implementation, funding for implementation, and rationale for the use of an outside contractor, among others.                    

New standards for the Federal government regarding electronic and information technology are being developed as mandated in Section 508 of the 1998 Amendments to the Rehabilitation Act. These will be binding and enforceable standards for technology accessibility that impact all governmental agencies and procurements.

ED's policy will be updated to comply with the new standards. NIDRR grantees and contractors should be familiar with these standards, which can serve as a guideline for accessibility. Information on the proposed standards, which will go into effect six months after they are approved and published in the Federal Register, can be found at the following locations on the World Wide Web: http://www.section5O8.-qov/ and http://www.access-board.gov/sec508/508index.htm.

The National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS) has made available Guidelines for Accessing Alternative Format Educational Materials  (March 1, 2000). By Barbara Nail-Chiwetalu, this document reviews legislation, navigating the system, and resources; see http://www.loc.gov/nls/guidelines.htm.     

Develop your Dissemination Policy [adapted from The Research Exchange, Vol. 1, No. 2, 1996]

Developing a dissemination policy for your organization can help staff decisions regarding what formats to use by defining the purpose and goals of dissemination activities. A dissemination policy:

• Helps to clarify the value placed upon dissemination by your NIDRR grantee organization.
• Provides an opportunity to consider the impact dissemination, and decisions reached about it, have on the ultimate utilization of your research-based information.
• Facilitates a clarification of the intended groups of users for the information generated through your disability research function.
• Establishes the value and measures that will be engaged to achieve "ease of access and simplicity of comprehension and use" - in other words, accessibility.
• Reduces staff confusion about the correct course of action and, as a result, lower staff costs and increase timelines of response time.
• Describes what steps you will take to ensure that the general public is aware of the availability of alternate formats of your material.
• Provides an opportunity to clarify how your dissemination policy facilitates accomplishment of the organization's mission.
• Clarifies the extent to which you will communicate your dissemination policy to the public, reinforcing awareness oft the availability of accessible, timely information, and technical assistance to support its utilization.
• Provides an opportunity to describe how the success of your dissemination policy will be evaluated and with what frequency it may be modified.

A dissemination policy will help focus attention on dissemination needs in other areas, for example, the project budget. Up front planning will help ensure that funds needed for the most appropriate dissemination formats and modes are identified and incorporated into the project budget. A lack of sufficient budgeted funds is not an excuse for not providing alternate formats.

Questions Can Guide Format Selection

Answering the familiar Why?, What?, Who?, When?, Where?, and How? questions can facilitate the process of identifying appropriate user-friendly formats.

Why?

• To share information with interested audiences.
• To meet the needs of specific audiences.
• To support the utilization of information.
• To respond to requirements of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended.

What?

• What formats to use depends in part on what information is to be shared.
• Attention to content and audience (user) will help identify appropriate formats.
• Efforts to implement the concepts of universal design will guide what formats to use.
• Different levels may be needed to reach different audiences.
• Some information has immediate, short-term use, and a simple format is best.
• Information that can best be shared through a demonstration, such as a video, may require additional effort to ensure accessibility (captions, descriptions).

Who?

• Identify potential audiences early in the process and incorporate their input.
• Identify resources to develop special formats such as Braille, captioning and descriptions for videos.
• Recognize that cultural and linguistic differences will impact audience preferences.
• Collaborate with other researchers, including other grantees, who may have successfully used a specific type of format.
• Work together with other researchers may be a more effective use of resources.

When?

• Plan for dissemination, including seeking input from audiences, should be a part of project planning from the beginning throughout the project.
• Information will be utilized when the audience has a need for it, and if it is available to them in an appropriate format.
• Let potential audiences know about the availability of your research information.
• Be prepared to provide information in an alternate format when it, is requested.

Where?

• Make audiences aware of your information by learning where they look for information and using those channels.
• The World Wide Web is routinely used for making information available at low or no cost.
• The Web can be used to present multimedia options with accessible adaptations.
• Share your information with other researchers/other grantees whose audiences may also benefit.

How?

• New and evolving technology creates a need for new and expanded formats. For example, interactive computer-based materials may create new barriers for people with disabilities. We need to think about how these new options impact users and what we can do to make them accessible, if they are not.
• The principles of Universal Design can help make information more usable for all audiences. An example is a video with open captions. People in a high-noise environment, those learning English, and others can benefit from a captioned video, as well as those who are deaf or hard of hearing.

FONT SIZE GUIDELINES

Large print is usually a "do it yourself" endeavor. The United States Postal Service, for purposes of free matter for the blind mailing, defines 14 point font as "large print." However, many people prefer a larger font. Be aware that contrast and spacing between characters and/or lines may be as important to some individuals as font size. Generally, 18 point font is sufficient. Use a plain font. The document may need to be reformatted if logos and graphics are used. The individual who created the original document should be able to supply a disk version so that the enlargements can be easily made. Some photocopy machines also have the ability to enlarge a document.

• Sans serif font; 18 point font is preferred.
• Use fonts with strong shapes and generous proportions making the print clear and easy to read.
• Use a 1.25 line space between lines to avoid crowding.
• Avoid the use of italics and use a standard size (8.5" by 11") light yellow paper with black print for the most readable copy.
• Begin all text at the left and avoid hyphens at the right margin and the use of columns.

Sample font sizes and types:

Times New Roman, 12 Point Font

Times New Roman, 18 Point Font

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HELVETICA

LUCIDA

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