Client Education Materials and Communications with Visually Impaired, Blind, and Low-Literacy Clients

West Virginia Senior Legal Aid - 030165

Abstract Number: 30165

September 2003

West Virginia Senior Legal Aid (WVSLA) has developed a process to ensure hotline callers can receive correspondences, outreach materials, or client education materials in a format that will be accessible to clients who are visually impaired, blind, or read at a low-literacy level. Prior to determining whether materials or correspondences should be sent to a client, hotline staff members inquire whether or not it would be helpful for the client to receive normal printed materials which is particularly relevant given that all of WVSLA's clients are senior citizens who are over 60 years old. If a client indicates that normal printed materials would not be helpful, WVSLA staff members will provide materials or correspondences in one of the following formats:

• Increased Font Size Documents
• Audio Materials
• Braille Materials

To provide audio materials, WVSLA has recorded outreach materials as *.wav files which they burned to CD, then to tape on an as-needed basis. WVSLA found that audio tapes were universally preferred over CD. In addition, West Virginia's library system provides free tape players to blind patrons which enables WVSLA to provide materials in a format readily usable. To provide Braille materials, WVSLA developed a relationship with a local organization that owns a Braille embossing machine and has allowed WVSLA to use it occasionally. In addition, WVSLA also uses http://www.hotbraille.com/ which allows users to send a one-page Braille letter anywhere in the United States for free. WVSLA found that working with the local Center for Excellence in Disabilities and the National Federation for the Blind proved helpful in planning how to best serve clients who are blind. To learn more about WVSLA, visit WVSLA's website online at: http://www.seniorlegalaid.org/.

Contact Information:

Cathy McConnell
Executive Director
West Virginia Senior Legal Aid
1988 Listravia Avenue
Morgantown, WV 26505
Phone: (304) 296-0082
Fax: (304) 296-2746
Email: seniorlegalaid@yahoo.com

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