Accessibility of Information & Services

How does your organization widen the welcome? How do you increase access to services and cultivate belonging with community members, partners, and others? Explore these questions and more below.

Ways to Get Started:

• Review Focus Area #4 in the toolkit beginning on page 51. Download Advancing Organizational Health Literacy (PDF).
• Take the self-assessment for Focus Area #4 beginning on page 7. Download Organizational Health Literacy Assessment (PDF).
• Continue exploring the themes and resources below.

Activities and Worksheets

Explore these resources related to accessibility of information and services:

• Improving Processes with Curiosity (PDF)
• Preparing Materials for Translation (PDF)

Additional Resources

Accessibility and Disability

• Access Living – Chicago-based organization offering varied resources, advocacy, and services by and for people with disabilities
• Communicate Health: Inclusive Language Playbook Writing About Disability – Overview of inclusive language for writing to and about people with disabilities
• Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services: Improving Access to Care for People with Disabilities – Resources including the guide, Getting the Care You Need, available in eight language
• Disability in Public Health: Including People with Disabilities Public Health Workforce Competencies – Insights into inclusive practices in public health
• General Services Administration: Create Successful Meetings – Various resources and strategies for creating accessible meeting environments in person and online
• WebAIM: Introduction to Web Accessibility – Overview of principles of accessible web design for online interactions

Supporting LGBTQ+ Communities

• Communicate Health: Inclusive Language Playbook Writing for LGBTQ+ Communities – Overview of inclusive language for writing to and about LGBTQ+ communities
• Society of Gynecologic Oncology: Welcoming Spaces Treating Your LGBTQ+ Patients – Series of free online modules on supporting LGBTQ+ patients

Translation and Interpretation

• Literacy Works’ Clear Language Lab: Plain Language + Translation Tips and Strategies – Provides overview of translating with a plain language lens
• US Department of Health and Human Services: Think Cultural Health (PDF) – Checklist for professional interacting with interpreters

Trauma-Informed Practices

• Center for Health Care Strategies: Trauma-Informed Care Implementation Resource Center – Comprehensive overview of trauma-informed practices
• Cook County Health Trauma-Informed Approaches Task Force: Best Practices for Creating a Trauma-Informed Organization (PDF)  Overview on applying trauma-informed practices from local healthcare practitioners
• Literacy Works: Clear Language Lab Library Resources on Trauma-Informed Communication – Webinars and blog posts on trauma-informed communication