Communicating Crime Reduction

Connecting people with disabilities

Statistics

A large number of people in Britain are affected by some form of disability:

·        1.7 million have some form of visual impairment.

·        Over 8 million have some form of hearing disability.

·        As many as 250,000 people may have a combination of visual and auditory impairments ('deaf-blind').

·        Over 1 million have learning difficulties (formerly known as 'mental handicap').

·        Over 7 million adults have literacy problems.

In addition, 6 million people in Britain are over 70 years old. They constitute over 10% of the population and demographic forecasts indicate that this figure will rise. Although being elderly is not in itself a disability, 50% of disabled people are over 70. Sight, hearing, memory and other mental faculties can deteriorate with age, often coupled with decreased mobility. 

For many people in Britain, some form of disability complicates access to a range of everyday communications. Information and advice on services and other issues are as important to the disabled as they are to the able-bodied, yet, without special provision, these groups can be seriously disadvantaged. 

It should be normal best practice to consider the needs of this significant target audience when developing communications strategies. Where appropriate, this may lead to the production of information in alternative formats, such as large-print, Braille, audio cassettes and sign language videos. Other, more direct channels of communication may also be considered. This requirement to take full account of the information needs of the disabled is backed by legislation.

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