Methods used to make print and electronic information more accessible to persons with acquired commuincation disabilities in health and social care settings : a scoping review

Abstract

Background: The ability to access information is key to making informed decisions about one’s life and results in superior quality of life and health outcomes. Existing literature focusses on how to make information accessible for persons with intellectual disability with a paucity of research focused on persons with acquired communication disabilities.

Aims/objectives: To scope and synthesize current literature regarding strategies and methods for making information more accessible to persons with acquired communication disabilities within health and social care contexts. The objectives of this scoping review were to describe the general characteristics of the included studies; define print and electronic information accessibility; describe the methods/strategies currently used to make print or electronic information accessible; describe the standardized measures used in the studies, describe the outcomes of these studies and evaluate the acceptability of these methods to users.

Methods: A scoping review was conducted. A multi-faceted search strategy was conducted and included database searches, hand searching, and forward citation and ancestry searches. Two reviewers did a double-blind screening of studies at the title/abstract and full-text level, during which the eligibility criterion was applied. Data was extracted by a single reviewer and independently verified by reviewers at title and full-text level.

Results: Most studies originated from high-income countries. The review revealed a limited number of dementia studies (with acquired aphasia being the most prevalent condition) and no precise definition of print or electronically accessible information. The review suggested that visuographic aids, text font, layout support, text-to-speech, and plain language summaries enhance comprehension for those with acquired communication disabilities, while high-context photographs, a straightforward arrangement, serif fonts (notably Verdana 14-point), and 1.5 line spacing enhance their comprehension of both printed and electronic text. Incorporating computer-generated speech assisted persons with acquired communication disabilities to comprehend text. Research related to the perceptions of persons with acquired communication disabilities of these methods proved to be limited.

Conclusions: Persons with acquired communication disabilities have limited access to information due to their disabilities. All persons with disabilities have the right to access information, and methods/strategies such as visuographic supports, text font, plain language summaries, text-to-speech and layout (word or page arrangement) currently support them to access printed or electronic information.