It is reassuring to see that Worcestershire County Council is committed to ensuring equality for all citizens wishing to access services and opportunities. We live in an age when there is more information and choice regarding health, social and leisure services than ever before, and in which we strive for ever greater transparency and accountability to the community we serve. Too many people are still unable to make their own choices and to participate actively in community life because they cannot effectively access information we provide or communicate using spoken English. This could be as a result of a visual or hearing impairment, a learning disability, the fact that English is not their first language or many other reasons.
It can be difficult to approach with confidence the task of making information available, because of the range of alternative ways in which we are now able to communicate, so I am very pleased that this directory of practical advice and contacts has been produced. I am sure that it will prove to be an essential tool to extend the ways in which we communicate with our service users and the wider community, and ensuring that they can communicate with us too.
I hope this is the start of many great conversations that might not have happened without this work.
