1 minute read
Tips for online engagement with diverse communities
by cbcity
CBCity: Our Diverse City
Council’s Digital Engagement Officers are ready to support you to make your online engagement accessible and interesting – just ensure you offer at least several weeks’ lead time. Here are a few principles they work by.
Web accessibility When the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) ‘AA’ standard is met, it’s easier for people with disabilities, who often have their own tools installed, to read and understand online content.
A few key techniques that make web pages more accessible are: large font options, high contrast colours, text descriptions for images, video captions, keyboard-navigable sections and links, and built-in readaloud tools. How accessibility helps CALD communities Web accessibility guidelines benefit culturally and linguistically diverse communities too. For example, a video transcription and captions mean someone with a hearing impairment can understand the video – but it also makes translated captions simpler. ‘Read aloud’ tools that read words from the screen in a number of languages can engage people who aren’t literate in both English and their own language 14 . For example, the UserWay website plugin can read aloud and translate pages. If you know the main languages spoken by the community you’re engaging, create duplicate ‘magic tabs’ on your page that translate content.
14 Digital Access and Equity for Multicultural Communities, Federation of Ethnic Communities’ Councils of Australia
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Highly visual formats are more engaging Pictograms are often understood cross languages. Instead of using a word-based scale in a form, try emoji, thumbs up and down, hearts or stars.
When translating a survey into multiple languages, consider whether it will be self-guided or facilitated by staff. If it’s facilitated, then remember to include translations or pictograms so that both users understand what’s being asked. Keep online tools simple to engage more people Digital engagement doesn’t work for everyone, especially seniors, but featuring photos of Council officers on a project’s Have Your Say page makes the experience more personal when residents do choose to pick up the phone. You can even set up a ‘request a callback’ tool so that we can connect with people when it suits them.
CBCity: Our Diverse City
