CDS Clarity
Making more information more accessible to more people.
Over the last 10 years we have developed a portfolio of specialist services designed to make communications accessible to a wide audience.
The CDS Clarity solution consists of:
We have grouped these specialist services together under a one-stop solution called CDS Clarity. You can pick and choose between different CDS Clarity services, or use any combination to produce communications in the most accessible formats for your target audience. For more information please email Jonathan Astin or call 0800 138 4308.
Key benefits:
- Highly skilled editorial team with a wealth of experience in communicating information using simple, clear language
- Large dedicated resilient team used to meeting tight deadlines
- Publications are developed in conjunction with the target audience
- The consultation process has proved that our approach is highly effective in widening the accessibility of important information
- Bespoke illustrations allow us to capture key messages in an illustration. This approach is far superior and more effective than the use of generic clip art
- Our approach is used by many central government departments
- End-to-end service with the ability to offer editorial, design, print and other accessible formats including Braille and audio, and tagged PDFs suitable for screen readers
Clear language
We make sure documents and websites are written in clear, easy to understand language. We can start from the concept stage or edit your existing text.
Our writers use language pitched at an appropriate level of sophistication for your readers. They will also structure your document for clarity.
Our goal is to ensure your audience understands your publication at first reading.
CDS Easy Read combines bespoke illustrations with clear text. It is designed to help organisations improve the way they communicate with people with learning disabilities.
In July 2006, following the principles of User Centred Design (UCD), we tested CDS Easy Read on focus groups consisting of both carers and end-users. The results were conclusive. More than 90% of people interviewed found CDS Easy Read better than other ‘easy read’ systems. Users praised the clarity of the illustrations, the layouts and the way text and illustrations were combined.
We have now extended our Easy Read system to help organisations provide information to wider audiences including those who may have low English literacy skills eg migrant workers, settled immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers.
As an extension to CDS Easy Read we also offer an illustration service which has far ranging applications, from signage to instruction manuals.
For more about Easy Read please click here to read "When words are not enough" (PDF file opens in a new window).
Website accessibility is a complex and fast evolving area. CDS has a specialist team in place to ensure that our website design and production complies with the standards set out by the W3C, the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) and industry best practices. Research ensures that these standards are continually maintained and updated.
We can build websites that validate against the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) ‘Triple A’ standard and conform to RNIB See it Right guidelines. Our experts will ensure that non-visual browsers and other technologies used to enhance accessibility work as well as standard browsers.
Besides solving specific accessibility issues we demonstrate that attractive design, user-friendliness and advanced functionality can all be combined in a single website.
For many organisations it has become increasingly important to provide large print versions of documents for partially sighted readers.
Typically large print requires the use of a clearly legible font, with a size of 16 or more points. We also ensure paper stock is appropriate. Show through, ink density, contrast and the reflective qualities of the paper are all taken into consideration. Our print experts will be able to advise you.
We provide a complete braille service with the capacity to handle any size document. We will ensure the braille version provides the same information as your printed document.
We also offer Moon which is an alternative system to braille. Moon consists of simplified ordinary letters as well as lines and curves. It is especially used by people who have lost their sight later in life and find braille too difficult to master.
In some cases an audio version of a document is required in addition to printed copies. We provide professional narrators who will read your documents for output as audio-cassettes or if required electronic sound files, which can be accessed on the Internet, CD-ROMs, digital audio players or DVDs.
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