Accessible Student Unions - Why and how?

Katarina HylanderProject Manager

katarina.hylander@sfs.se

Jenny AnderssonProject Assistant

jenny.andersson@sfs.se

@10tipsboken#10tips

What is 10 tips?

Year 1 (2011/2012):Situation analysis – ”what’s the problem?”

Year 2 (2012/2013):Method development

Year 3 (2013/2014): Spreading the message

Success factors! What have we learned?

Tips for accessibility!

The SFS “10 tips” initiative aims to guarantee student influence. Knowledge must be improved, norms broken and attitudes challenged. Everyone should be able to be active in the union regardless of their ability. With better knowledge and an increasing number of students with functional impairments, improved student influence can make student unions a force to be reckoned with in creating a university for everyone.

The Swedish Inheritance Fund Commission

Definitions• Examples of functional impairments include

– Dyslexia– Hearing and seeing impairment– Physical impairment – Allergy– Neuropsychiatric functional impairments such as ADHD

and Asperger’s syndrome

• Nearly one in five Swedes have some form of functional impairment (estimated 5-8 % dyslexia).

• The group of students with disabilities in Swedish higher education institutions is increasing every year

• Democracy and representation

- Everyone should be able to influence their higher education

- Strengthen the voice of the students

Why is accessibility in higher education important?

Year 1: Building a foundation for the project

• Research • Create a communication plan• Create a website• Networking with key people• Situational analysis

Situation analysis: Main findings

“1 percent of the students have 99 percent of the assignments”

”You loose perspective and the realization that not all are represented”

”To recruit among your group of friends can unfortunately lead to likatänkande”

• A few active people represents all students

• Little or no knowledge of accessibility - strong will to learn

• Social activities a common ways to get involved in the

union

• Difficulties reaching out with the message of what the

student unions actually do

• Meetings can be excluding in different ways

Year 2: Method development

• Five focus student unions – local project manager– budgets– meetings throughout the year– ”homework”

• Referee group

Communicate clearly

• Use clear and accurate language • Put your most important points first • Paragraph your text• For emphasis, use bold font rather than italics• Explain words that are frequently used• Let someone else read your text

Make the design work

Think about colors…

…and contrasts!

Choose a font that is clear and simple, without flourishes.

Avoid fonts that are very thin or resemble handwriting.

Avoid positioning text over images

Accessible meetings

• Distribute the meeting’s documents well in advance

• Ask about allergies or special needs• Provide information about accessibility • Consider the meeting climate

• The importance of breaks

Social activities

• Hold the activity in a place that everyone can get to

• Consider accessible commuication when writing invitations

• Keep the venue perfume and smoke free• Vary your activities!

Year 3The book is published (and sold out!)

”The 10 tips tour”

Reached over 200 people in student unions all over Sweden.

A one hour lecture based on the book

Offered to all SFS member unions

The 10 tips-conference

Measures to make SFS more accessible

• Educating the board and staff in accessible meetings and communication

• Accessible general assembly-meeting and organizing accessible events for our member unions

• Accessible design and layout• In general new perspective

Thank you!

katarina.hylander@sfs.sejenny.andersson@sfs.se

@10tipsboken#10tips