Get creative with your alternative formats

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What connects AltFormats, Moodle and Blackburn?

Gone are the days when Alternative Format meant receiving badly photocopied documents, and dozens of poor quality audio tapes. Things have moved on and the innovative ways that people are adopting, using and sharing alternative formats means that information can now be accessible to EVERYONE, including people with visual and print impairments, dyslexia, basic skills needs and people learning English as an additional language. Thanks to alternative format creation tools such as Dolphin EasyConverter, Dolphin EasyProducer and Dolphin Publisher, receiving timely high quality DAISY, large print, MP3 and Braille information is now a reality!

Read on to find out how organizations around the world are working with Dolphin to deliver new levels of accessibility for our visually impaired, print impaired, dyslexic and learning disabled customers.

Altformats in Education

Schools and colleges are converting their marketing and communication materials into altformats. This includes college prospectuses, letters to staff, students and parents, inspection reports and strategic plans.

To provide an accessible education to students with very specific accessibility needs, schools and colleges are using EasyConverter to create customized DAISY, MP3, large print and Braille formats of textbooks and other course materials.

Teachers are also finding new and innovative ways to teach students, such as putting lesson plans on Interactive Whiteboards in DAISY format.

Did you know... education establishments are making learning materials in MP3, DAISY and other formats available to ALL students, via their Virtual Learning Environments. Why not let everyone enjoy the amazing learning benefits of synchronized audio and text downloaded direct off your Moodle, Blackboard or other VLE?

Altformats are also being utilized effectively by educational staff. Human Resource departments in school's, colleges and universities are converting their recruiting, induction and training materials into accessible formats.

By following the examples others are setting, you can utilize Dolphin's altformat tools in an educational sphere to provide an accessible education for all, regardless of disability.

Did you know... that schools are converting play scripts into accessible MP3 formats? This is allowing visually impaired students to take the leading role in productions and nurture their talents, providing them with the same opportunities as every other student.

Altformats in Commercial Organisation

The Disability Discrimination Act in the UK and Section 508 in the US legally obliges all organisations to provide accessible materials to visually impaired and learning disabled stakeholders; including customers, employees and investors alike.

But rather than getting bogged down by legislation, companies are using the law as creative inspiration to convert corporate brochures, product information, into alternative Braille and large print formats.

Internally, companies are providing equal opportunities to all employees, converting recruitment materials, induction and training resources, minutes from meetings held and quarterly newsletters and other communications into alternative formats.

Did you know...
- Football supporters at Blackburn Rovers football club can receive their match day programs in an alternative MP3 format?
- Insurance companies are distributing policy documents as DAISY with a Tied-EasyReader for their visually impaired and Dyslexic clients?
- Talking newspaper groups are creating regular MP3 alternative formats of local papers, allowing people with visual impairments to find out about the news in their local area at their leisure?

Altformats in Public Authorities

Public Authorities, are obligated to provide accessible information under the Disability Equality Duty.

Public Authorities are using Dolphin's Altformat tools to provide alternative formats of their communications. This includes providing large print, DAISY and Braille copies of informative flyers, pamphlets, and letters sent to people in their local community.

Did you know... that Health Authorities communications are more effective in Altformats? "One PCT (Primary Care Trust) area increased uptake of flu jabs from 30% to 65% just by using font size 18pt for [distributed] information..."
Department of Health, Single Equality Scheme (Source: UK Health Informatics Today, Autumn 2007)

Be creative

With such a variety of information available, there is no end to the possibilities of what you can create into an alternative format.

If you have an interesting story to tell regarding how you use your Dolphin software, write in to marketing@dolphinuk.co.uk today and see if you can inspire someone else to have a go!

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