In today’s digital-first world we expect to be able to access information in a way that suits us, whenever and wherever. Some people however can experience barriers to accessing information, something which few businesses and organisations take into consideration. Leading local health charity, Northern Ireland Chest Heart & Stroke (NICHS), is playing its part in trying to improve this situation with the launch of new accessibility software on their website, ReachDeck from technology creator Everway (formerly Texthelp), which will improve user experience.
Linda Rodgers, Head of Communications and Engagement at NICHS, explains; “At Northern Ireland Chest Heart & Stroke we believe everyone should be able to access information, particularly health related information, in a way that works for them. Through our Care Services we see the challenges people who have a chest, heart or stroke condition can face, such as physical impacts, cognitive impairments, communication difficulties, and mental health problems. Accessing information in an easily understandable way can be another unnecessary challenge which is why we are delighted to be working with Everway to make our website more accessible and easier to read with ReachDeck. Its tools include a readability editor which will allow us to make sure the content on our website is easy to understand and free from complex words and sentence structures.”
“People impacted by chest, heart and stroke conditions, and others with different needs and abilities, may have vision problems, suffer from fatigue, or have difficulty concentrating for sustained periods of time. We are also seeing more people for whom English isn’t their first language accessing our services. ReachDeck’s suite of tools also includes an accessibility toolbar which we have added to our website. It allows all our service users to personalise how they view the information there. They can view things in a way that is most suitable to their individual needs.”
“The ReachDeck Toolbar allows our website users to turn text into speech, magnify text, use a screen mask, a picture dictionary, view webpages in a simple black and white format, and translate our content into over 100 languages. All the features are instantaneous and will make a huge difference to the accessibility and inclusivity of our website, breaking down any potential communication barriers.”
Linda continues, “Deaths due to chest, heart and stroke conditions, when combined, are the number one cause of death in Northern Ireland, and there are currently as many as 1 in 3 people here living with such a condition. It is therefore vital that the public have easy access to the information we can provide. Whether this is information about our support services for people who are living with a chest, heart or stroke condition, or health promotion information which is dedicated to the prevention and early detection of such illnesses, it is crucial this is available in a format that works for every individual, no matter their needs, and ReachDeck will help us do this.”
The synergy of the charity and Everway working together is poignant as Everway’s founder and Chairman, Martin McKay, started the business after seeing his father, William McKay, struggling to communicate following a severe stroke.
Martin explains; “In 1981, my father had a serious stroke and lost the ability to speak. He also found it difficult to read and communicate. He still does. He also lost the use of his right arm and leg. I got my first real exposure to serious cognitive and physical impairment when it happened.”
“As you can imagine, at that formative age, it impacted us all deeply. But it also led to a lot of personal growth. That is when I learned first-hand about some of the barriers that can exist in the world for people with different sets of abilities.”
“At that time assistive technology was not broadly available. Most people were unaware of assistive technology at all! In those days, most written communication was on paper. My dad couldn’t communicate or access information or services without help. Until then he was a very driven and independent man. He remained driven, but lost a lot of independence. I know he did not enjoy having to depend on others for communication, and often people were making assumptions about what he wanted to say. I believe that we all deserve to live and communicate with as much independence as possible. I decided to work hard to make a change, and I knew that technology held a possible answer.”
“I started the business in 1996 and since then our mission has been to create technologies that can help people understand, communicate, learn and work with confidence. Everyone’s brain works differently. We don’t all read, write and think in the same way. The average reading age is lower than you would expect. In the UK it’s nine, and in the US it’s around thirteen. Some people need support - and technology empowers them to thrive with independence.”
Martin continues; “I am delighted Everway is supporting NICHS with the implementation of ReachDeck. Over 250 million people have used our products and technology to date and the fact we will now be helping people throughout Northern Ireland access the vital information the charity provides is personally very important to me.”
For further information about Northern Ireland Chest Heart & Stroke and its support services, visit www.nichs.org.uk . For more information about Everway, visit www.everway.com
