Guidelines for creating best practice at Diocesan and Parish Events
with regard to the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (DDA)

Purpose of the Guidelines:

Church in Society seeks to support parishes in response to the DDA and promote best practice across Canterbury and Rochester Dioceses. Staff members who dedicate time to this issue have been made aware of concerns people have in running events beyond parish activities. The following guidelines have been drawn up in consultation with senior staff from both Dioceses to support best practice in response to the Act. They communicate a commitment to making the event inclusive, welcoming and fully accessible. By working through these checks any barriers to accessibility can be thought through as part of your planning.

People first : ideally have someone responsible for implementing these guidelines to enable independence, dignity and full participation for everyone.

Such a person might take the following role:

ü to make contact with all those who indicate a particular need when booking and make appropriate arrangements for meeting needs, such as arranging seating, preparing signs, allocating specific people to support individuals, providing additional resources

ü to arrange and check all the practical details

ü to be at the event to respond to any concerns

ü to inform speakers/workshop leaders of particular need requirements

ü to allocate workshop venues around any identified needs

'Yes I'd like to come': The Church organises a huge range of activities from training and committee meetings to concerts and quizzes. As organisers we wish to provide the best facilities we can. This is why it is important to have full information about peoples' needs

ü application forms should be available in large print, minimum size 14.

ü forms should ask participants to advise any special requirements or needs. A sentence to the effect that “those organising the event wish to make appropriate arrangements to enable the full participation of all those attending” will explain why this is important

ü applications should be available in formats other than written, i.e. e-mail and phone/fax facility

Setting the scene: As Church we use a variety of venues. All our church facilities are unique and each offers a precious environment contributing to the success of an event. For this reason it is important that we take the following into consideration:

ü provision of disabled parking available at/near venue

ü physical access into and around all parts of the building to be used, including toilets

ü voice enhancement system, public address, and hearing induction loop. Loop systems are increasingly available in public places so people may not indicate the need for one on the form.

ü heights of lecterns and staging, and good lighting so that speakers can be clearly seen and heard

ü seating arrangements - identify best reception area for the loop system whether this is already in place or will be provided for the event (see resources)

ü choice of seating places for wheelchair users

ü workshop setting: if workshops are chosen prior to the event arrangements can be made to cater for specific needs, i.e. allocation of rooms, provision of signer, larger print, sympathetic timings

Resourcing the event: Your event is planned for a specific purpose. It will be important that those participating can fully engage with your programme. Once you have checked the venue and identified the needs from the applications you may need to draw on some of these resources.

ü clear timings - people on medication and particularly those who are diabetic appreciate knowing break times
in advance

ü loop systems - if your venue has no loop you can hire one from the Diocese or Hi Kent.
Contact the Diocesan Office or Hi Kent (01622 691151) for further information.
Once in place clearly sign where it is

ü signing - if you require a signer you will need two people who have trained to interpreter level.
Signers should work for no more than 1 hour at a time.
Signers need to be booked well in advance; approximate cost £75 per hour

Contact - RNID 0207 7296 8000 RAD: 01206 509509

If a signer is accompanying someone as a private arrangement they will appreciate
some information about the content beforehand

ü Assistance Dogs for people who have a visual or hearing impairment. The dogs will be 'at work' and so should not be petted. Fresh water should be provided.

ü printed materials - all handouts should be font size 14. People with low vision may need 16-20

- overhead transparencies should be a minimum font size 24

- Overheads should also be offered as hand copies for all participants.

- Black ink is best on white or yellow matt paper.

- Use clear text in bold or medium type.

- Ariel fonts are recommended

- All signs should be as large and clear as possible.

- Signs should also include symbols, and if necessary be available in Braille

We hope that these guidelines will be useful in your planning. We do not seek to add unnecessary work, but to give you as much support as possible to make your event inclusive to all those who would wish to participate. We would value your comments so we can review best practice to the benefit of both dioceses.

For further advice please contact:

Church in Society

Robert Runcie House, 60 Marsham Street, Maidstone ME14 1EW

Tel: 01622 755014