Scottish Government launch new inclusive communication toolkit 

Online toolkit makes it easier for people to communicate with public services.

No one wants communication with public services to be harder than it needs to be. 

The ALLIANCE and our members have repeatedly called for people to have equal access to public services. This includes our recent campaign, More than Words: Communication for All. 

This week, the Scottish Government launched a toolkit to help public bodies understand and support communication for all, designed by Communication Inclusion People. Communication Inclusion People co-produced the toolkit with people who communicate in diverse ways, experts, and public service representatives.   

The toolkit explains why inclusive communication matters, sets out an updated definition of good practice standards and indicators, and provides step-by-step guides with practical tools.  

It aims to help services to make communication easier for everyone. Easier, inclusive communication leads to better outcomes for individuals, families, communities, services and Scotland.   

 The toolkit is free for anyone to use. 

Lived experience expert, Elliott James Pettitt, who worked on the toolkit, said: 

“Good communication makes me feel included. It makes me feel like I matter, that I have something to give, and I am valued.”  

Kim Hartley Kean, Toolkit Project Director and Director of Communication Inclusion People, said: 

“We hope the toolkit helps to bring down the communication barriers that get in the way of communication equity and inclusion. If services use it well, it will help to create a kinder, fairer, and more communication inclusive Scotland. That would be great for everyone!” 

The ALLIANCE welcomes the Scottish Government’s support for the inclusive communication toolkit. It provides much-needed support for public services to improve their awareness of communication for all.  

As we near the new Parliamentary term, we will continue to campaign for progress – and particularly for accountability around work to improve equal access to communication and public life. 

The toolkit is available here: https://www.gov.scot/publications/inclusive-communication-toolkit/

If you are interested in supporting our ongoing campaign work on communication for all, please contact us at sensory@alliance-scotland.org.uk, or call 0141 404 0231. 

End of page.