Advice for the Uninitiated: Buying Alternative FormatsWe understand that for many print buyers, procuring accessible formats such as large print, audio and braille may be a new experience. This article aims to offer some brief starting points for anyone approaching this for the first time. We haven’t gone into great detail, because we’re sure you haven’t got the time to read an essay on the subject. But hopefully, we’ve covered most of the issues you need to think about before tackling the task of buying alternative formats. If you have others that we haven’t covered, by all means let us know and we’ll update this page as soon as possible. The TranscribersThere are two categories into which alternative format providers can be broadly divided. These are charitable or commercial providers. Some charitable providers produce accessible formats for little or no cost to individuals, and others supplement their income by having a commercial production unit where all the profits are covenanted to the charity. The commercial producers are not part of a charity and are generally profit-making organisations. Dos Shop aroundThere are plenty of alternative format providers. They fall into different categories and have different strengths. Look around until you’re comfortable with the service you’re receiving. Of course, we’re sure that, once you’ve worked with us, you won’t need to shop around any further! Expect adviceAny alternative format provider worth their salt will offer you advice, whether you request it or not. They should have an opinion on the needs of the end-user and a desire to meet the expectations of you, your customer and, most importantly, the end-user. They may also advise you on the quantities you want a quote for. You probably won’t need 500 copies of the braille version! Obtain samplesNot all providers will meet the standards you’re looking for. Check the quality of what an organisation can produce before choosing a supplier. Any transcriber will be able to send you samples of their work and this should give you an idea of their commitment to quality. Expect ‘origination’ costsAlthough being able to give your provider the document in an electronic format will reduce costs, there is still a lot of work to do. Consider it re-design work rather than re-production. Short production runs may appear expensive, but savings can be made on longer runs. Do it in parallelWherever possible, involve your alternative format provider through the whole process. It makes the work less of a rush later on and less likely to contain errors. You may even get some tips on making the print version more accessible to the general public. Remember that most people in the alternative format industry will be more than willing to help because they really are very nice people! Don’ts Forget the VIPs (visually impaired persons)! The visually impaired market is a largely untapped market accounting for around £400million in spending power each year, is that a market you can afford to ignore? 7% of the British population, around 4.2 million people have difficulty reading the written word. Add that statistic to the range of people with other communication needs and you have a huge number of people who may not be receiving your message loud and clear. Accept poor quality or serviceCheck if your provider is a member of any relevant organisations or adheres to any quality standards. The most relevant representative organisation is the UK Association for Accessible Formats (UKAAF), but there are others, such as the British Printing Industries Federation (BPIF), the Independent Printing Industries Association (IPIA) and other translation organisations. Not all transcription services are currently covered by accredited standards but membership of these bodies will indicate involvement in, and commitment to, providing a quality service and product. You should also make sure that the provider guarantees to meet your deadlines and end-user expectations. Hesitate to ask!Remember that it is okay to ask the alternative format providers for advice, guidance and help. A good provider will either know the answer, or will be able to find the answer for you. Just like you, we’re professionals in our field! What next?The UK Association for Accessible Formats (UKAAF) has lots of good advice, and you can find their web address in our useful links section. We also have some detailed guidance on the formats that we offer, such as braille, large print and moon, in this Resources section. If you want more info that we’ve forgotten to mention, you can drop us an email through our Contact Us page, or just give us a call and we’ll answer your question immediately.
Good luck!
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