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Spotlight on ACCESSibility Micro-Learning Series: Communications (INC1-V31)

Description

This video explores accessible communications tools and practices and provides examples of how to ensure that the Government of Canada's approach to communications meets or exceeds accessibility requirements.

Duration: 00:05:47
Published: May 3, 2021
Type: Video


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Spotlight on ACCESSibility Micro-Learning Series: Communications

Transcript

Transcript

Transcript: Spotlight on ACCESSibility Micro-Learning Series: Communications

[Music]

[Visual: The words, "Spotlight on ACCESSibility  Micro-Learning Series:" with the word "Communications" in a larger font.]

Narrator: Spotlight on ACCESSibility Micro-Learning Series: Communications.

Spotlight on ACCESSibility Micro-Learning Series: Communications

[Visual: The title disappears, and three people sitting in chairs in a semi-circle appear sitting against a purple backdrop.]

Stacy Bleeks
Census, Operations and Informatics Field
at Statistics Canada

Stacy Bleeks: Words are powerful. Les mots sont puissants.

[Visual: The background fills with purple, and two figures representing people appear. Above the two people is the word "Communication."]

Communication

[Visual: A wavy dotted line extends out from the person on the left to touch the person on the right. The dots slowly flow along the line, from left to right.]

Stacy Bleeks: Communication, it's the transfer of a message from one entity to another.

[Visual: The text and images fade out, and the word "Accessibility" appears in the centre of the screen.]

Stacy Bleeks: Accessibility.

Accessibility

[Visual: The text disappears, and is replaced by a close up of Stacy Bleeks, addressing the panel.]

Stacy Bleeks: For a lot of people, accessibility is an unknown, and that's okay. But an unknown can be a scary thing, right? So let's help everyone, and we'll use Yazmine Laroche's wonderful definition of accessibility, because it captures it.  

[Visual: A box in the centre of the screen contains the words, "Accessibility means it works for everyone." The box below contains the words, "Yazmine Laroche Deputy Minister, Public Service Accessibility".]

Stacy Bleeks: Accessibility means it works for everyone.

"Accessibility means
it works for everyone."
- Yazmine Laroche
Deputy Minister, Public Service Accessibility

[Visual: The text and background disappear, and are replaced by a shot of Angele Charlebois addressing the panel.]

Angele Charlebois
IT Accessibility at
Employment and Social
Development Canada

Angele Charlebois: Communication is a very important tool in culture. Because that's how you put your point across, that's how you communicate with people, that's how you learn, is through communication.

[Visual: A drawing of a white sheet of paper appears in the centre. The sheet of paper has black lines stretching horizontally across it, and the title, "Accessible Canada Act" appears at the top of the page.]

Accessible Canada Act

[Visual: The paper disappears, and a drawing of a computer window appears, with a drawing of a person inside the window. The person has their hands raised, and is signing.]

Angele Charlebois: When I saw the Canada Accessible Act, and I saw that the entire thing was signed in sign language, that's very, very important.

[Visual: The images disappear, and are replaced by a shot of Angele Charlebois addressing the panel.]

Angele Charlebois: We have listening ears now, we have people that are listening to us, they are hearing what our obstacles are. And they want to help us change this world, into an accessible world.

[Visual: Shawn Thompson addresses the panel.]

Shawn Thompson
IT Accessibility, Innovation,
Information and Technology at
Employment and Social Development Canada

Shawn Thompson: One thing about my disability is it's a hidden disability. People can't see it. 

[Visual: Shawn Thompson addresses the panel over a video feed.]

Shawn Thompson: I'm still starting to really push for the hidden disabilities. People to actually kind of talk more about it, and be more accustomed. But I think there's still a long ways to go for hidden disabilities.

[Visual: The words, "What advice do you have about" appears, with the words "being a good ally" in a larger font, and the words, "in the workplace?" below.]

Narrator: What advice do you have about being a good ally in the workplace?

What advice do you have about
being a good ally
in the workplace?

[Visual: The title disappears, and is replaced by a shot of the panel. Angele Charlebois addresses the panel and the audience.]

Angele Charlebois: Ask questions. Ask questions. If you want to create an accessible world, you need to have the answers to your questions. 

[Visual: Angele finishes speaking, and looks toward Stacy Bleeks, who addresses the panel and the audience.]

Stacy Bleeks: When we talk about communications, asking questions is great.

[Visual: The representations of two people appear.]

[Visual: The people move slightly apart, and a wavy dotted line extends out from each one of them, and reach across to the other person, so that the two lines cross over each other in a wavy pattern. The dots on the lines slowly move along the line towards the other person.]

Stacy Bleeks: Also, you know, when we are looking at two way communications, it's important for anyone with a disability to be able to convey what they need as well. 

[Visual: The images disappear, and are replaced by a video feed of Shawn Thompson, addressing the panel.]

Shawn Thompson: I would think, you know, ask questions, but also communicate. Like, the communication is key, right.

[Visual: The representations of two people appear. One person is pink, and one white. A speech bubble extends out to the right from the head of the pink person. Inside the speech bubble is a drawing of a person in a wheelchair.]

[Visual: A second speech bubble extends out to the left from the head of the white person. Inside the speech bubble is a drawing of a person in a wheelchair.]

Shawn Thompson: So it's to talk about it. The more we communicate things, the more I find that we get to understand and it becomes more of a normal thing. 

[Visual: The words, "Which practices can help in terms of" appear, with the words "plain language and clear writing" and the words "in our work environment?" below.]

Narrator: Which practices can help in terms of plain language and clear writing in our work environment?

Which practices can help in terms of
plain language
and clear writing
in our work environment?

[Visual: The title disappears, and is replaced by a shot of Shown Thompson's video feed, as he addresses the panel and the audience.]

[Visual: The background fills with purple, and a drawing of an open laptop appears on the left. To the right of the laptop, the words, "Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0" appear.]

Shawn Thompson: When we talk about plain language, especially on the web, we have to follow the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines.

Web Content
Accessibility
Guidelines 2.0

[Visual: The images and text disappear, and is replaced by a shot of Shown Thompson's video feed, as he addresses the panel and the audience.]

[Visual: The screen fills with purple, and a drawing of three skyscraper office buildings appear.]

Shawn Thompson: I've been working a lot with the private sector, and I see that there they don't follow the guidelines anymore.

[Visual: The buildings slide to the left, and two square pink check boxes appear. The box on the left has the word "Yes" underneath, and the box on the right has the word "No" underneath. Above the two boxes are the words, "Is it accessible?" A white "x" draws itself in the check box marked "Yes."]

Shawn Thompson: It's: "Is it accessible, yes or no?" That's where I'd like to see the government move.

Is it accessible?
Yes  No

[Visual: The text and check boxes disappear, and are replaced by a drawing of the Parliament Building.]

[Visual: A curved dotted line extends up and out from the skyscrapers, and down to the Parliament Building. A group of four representations of people move across the dotted line from the skyscrapers to the Parliament Building. The people all disappear inside the Parliament Building.]

Angele Charlebois: Often times I'll invite people from the private sector, to come in to the federal government, to give us a presentation, to inform us about certain things.

[Visual: The images disappear, and a shot of Angele Charlebois addressing the panel and the audience replaces them.]

Angele Charlebois: And I contacted People First of Canada. That was my first introduction to plain language.

[Visual: The bilingual logo of People First of Canada appears in the centre.]

Angele Charlebois: They're an advocate for people with intellectual disabilities. They're a fantastic stakeholder to reach out to.

[Visual: The logo and background disappear, and are replaced by a shot of the panel. Stacy Bleeks addresses the panel.]

Stacy Bleeks: Accessibility: we're in this together. Unity. So it's, you know the plain language is um, you know a key in terms of being able to communicate.

[Visual: A drawing of two browser windows stacked on top of each other appear on the right side of the screen. Beneath and slightly to the left of the windows, an envelope with speed lines flying out the back appears. To the left and slightly above the envelope, an open laptop appears. Above the laptop, a drawing of two speech bubbles appears, slightly overlapping each other. Above and slightly to the right of the speech bubbles, a smartphone appears.]

[Visual: The circle of pictures widens, and a row of representations of people appear, five in a row. The pictures in the circle rotate slowly around the row of people.]

Stacy Bleeks. Whether it be with web content or emails, PowerPoint, conversations, that opens it up to an inclusive, diverse audience to ensure that the information can be understood by as many people as possible.

[Visual: The words, "How would you go about" appear, with the words "changing the workplace culture" and the words "around accessibility?" below.]

Narrator: How would you go about changing the workplace culture around accessibility?

How would you go about
changing the
workplace culture
around accessibility?

[Visual: The title disappears, and is replaced by a shot of the panel. Angele Charlebois addresses the panel.]

Angele Charlebois: Management needs to have a "yes" attitude. When somebody asks for an  accommodation, you need to default to a "yes" attitude.

[Visual: In the middle of the screen, the words, "Default to a YES attitude" appear.]

Default to a
YES attitude

[Visual: The word "YES" is highlighted.]

Angele Charlebois: Text appears with the words, "Create a safe environment."]

Create a safe environment

Angele Charlebois: Create a safe environment for people to learn what an accessible world looks like.

[Visual: The text disappears, and is replaced by a shot of Angele Charlebois addressing the panel and the audience.]

Angele Charlebois: For me that's super important, that we create an environment where people want to learn, and they'll be happy to change the way they do things. That's what culture change is all about. 

[Visual: The words, "How can we best advocate for" appear, with the words "inclusion and accessibility by design?"]

Narrator: How can we best advocate for inclusion and accessibility by design?

How can we best advocate for
inclusion and accessibility by design?

[Visual: The title disappears, and is replaced by Shawn Thompson's video feed, as he addresses the audience and the panel.]

Shawn Thompson: When it comes to accessibility, I mean, a lot of the accessibility was done by breaking down barriers.

[Visual: Figures representing people appear all over the screen, in a random formation. They are separated by thin white lines angled in different directions, so that they present barriers between different people on the screen.]

Shawn Thompson: We need to break down the barriers.

[Visual: Wavy dotted lines extend out from each person towards another person near them on the screen, until the barrier lines disappear, and all the people are connected by two-way wavy lines, crossing over each other, with dots flowing down the lines from one person towards another.]

Shawn Thompson: Communicating about it, the more we get together, the easier it is to break down a barrier.

[Visual: The images are replaced by Shawn Thompson's video feed, as he addresses the panel and the audience.]

Shawn Thompson: So it's just about communicating, and sharing knowledge, and all getting on the same page. And break down those barriers that have been up there for a long time.  

[Visual: The background fills with purple. Text appears at the top of the screen]

Breaking Down Barriers

Stacy Bleeks: Be patient.

[Visual: The words, "Be patient" appear in below the title.]

Be patient

[Visual: The words, "Choose your battles appear.]

Stacy Bleeks: Choose your battles.

Choose your battles

[Visual: The words "Give yourself permission to make mistakes."]

Give yourself permission to make mistakes

[Visual: The words, "Give others the permission to make mistakes" appear.]

Give others permission to make mistakes

Stacy Bleeks: Give yourself permission to make mistakes, and give others the permission to make mistakes so that we can all come together in terms of accessibility,

[Visual: The text disappears, and is replaced by a shot of Stacy Bleeks addressing the panel and the audience.]

Stacy Bleeks: and learn, we can make this a better place to live and a better place to work.

[Visual: A box in the upper right of the screen contains the words, "Learn to make this a better place to live..."  Another box in the lower right of the screen is filled with the words, "...and a better place to work."]

Learn to make this a better place to live...
...and a better place to work

[Visual: The text appears, "Spotlight on ACCESSibility Micro-Learning Series:" with the word "Communications."]

Narrator: Spotlight on ACCESSibility Micro-Learning Series: Communications.

Spotlight on ACCESSibility Micro-Learning Series:
Communications

[Visual: The words, "For more information, please consult" appear. Below, the words, "The Canada School of Public Service's Website" appear. Below that, the words, "Please find the links in the video description below" appear.]

For more information, please consult
the Canada School of Public
Service's Website
Please find the links in the
video description below.

Narrator: For more information, please consult The Canada School of Public Service's website. Please find the links in the video description below.

Music ends

[Visual: Text fades out.]

Fades to black

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