Braille transcription, do you need it?
June 3, 2009
The Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) of 1995, legally obliges companies to provide auxiliary aids or services to make it easier for people with a disability to make use of any services that it offers to the public.Through the work of charity, Vision Support, VST has had contact with a number of individuals who have been unclear as to their rights and been unsure as to the process of obtaining alternative formats.
VST’s services assist companies in making alternative formats more available to the Visually Impaired. This is not just a legal requirement but is of a real help to the end user who may have to go to unreasonable or uncomfortable lengths to be able to access the information that is sent to them. It provides a barrier to accepting and using new services. If a Visually Impaired person feels wrongly excluded from provision of goods or services they have recourse to the courts and can claim damages, not only for financial loss, but also for injury to feelings, and there is no limit to damages that can be awarded for the latter.
David Scott, Managing Director of VST says:
In our work with companies two of the more common questions are:
”What are the limits on the materials that we have to produce?” and
“What is a reasonable adjustment?”
The answer to the first is that service providers are required, by the DDA, to be proactive rather than reactive. There is a duty to consider all the ways in which you provide information and make sure that is accessible to everyone. In short any materials that you produce and send out to customers existing or potential must include those with a Visual Impairment. Special offers, adverts, or general update materials must be available and sent out in the format of the customer’s choice. The Act does not limit the communication spectrum.
In terms of reasonable adjustment there are no hard and fast rules, no single solution. However, the production and availability of materials in the format selected by the customer and available across all communications is a good start.
As a general rule the more important the information the more vital that it is available quickly in alternative formats. For example:
- A change to an existing service which some or all customers will need to be aware of in order to take action.
- Essential information such a labeling, safety notices, evacuation procedures.
- Information from which important decisions will be made.
Contracts.- Confidential of personal information.
If the information concerns a product, offer or service that is only available for a limited period, and customers must respond quickly to take advantage of it, you will need to ensure that Visually Impaired customers are not disadvantaged by delays in the production of alternative formats.
However, since the DDA became law additional legislation and regulatory guidelines have come into effect.
In December 2007 the Disability Equality Duty became law. The main aim of the Disability Equality Duty is to get public authorities to think and act proactively on disability equality issues from the start. This will help them to identify from the beginning, where and how, unnecessary barriers are created to the equal participation of disabled users of their services as well as current and potential employees. This is not just about physical/sensory barriers but also barriers which are created by the way services, policies or practices are designed. Understanding these barriers will help ensure the public sector plays its full roll in enabling disabled people to participate in all aspects of society as equal citizens.
This duty is therefore aimed at ensuring, for the first time ever, that public authorities take responsibility for tackling institutional disability-related discrimination. This is a really exciting step-change compared to the individual rights focus of the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA). It is not about more individual rights; instead it is about improving public authorities’ policies and services as a whole for all disabled people.
The general duty applies to all public authorities (with a handful of specialised exceptions). This includes government departments, local authorities and schools. Voluntary and private sector organisations are also subject to the general duty where they are delivering services commissioned by public authorities.
This includes access to alternative formats.
The Financial Services Authority published guidelines under the heading “treating customers fairly.” Outcome 3 of this guidance was to ensure that “Consumers are provided with clear information and are kept appropriately informed before, during and after the point of sale.” The FSA argue the clear information is crucial to ensuring that consumers are treated fairly. In particular where consumers do not take advice and must rely on the clarity of information when making decisions. It states that “a firm must pay due regard to the information needs of its clients, and communicate information to them in a way which is clear, fair and not misleading.
This incorporates the provision of accessible formats.
When considering your current and future policies, procedures and practices, seeking merely to comply with the letter of the law is a high risk approach as the DDA is difficult to interpret. For example, working practices may be challenged in the courts and, until a body of case law is established, it would be imprudent to quibble over whether a customer is covered by the Act. Best practice is not only the most prudent option but it serves all of your customers to the best possible standard and does not discriminate between them. To work within the spirit of the Act is not only the best option for an individual company but for the end user who will remain loyal to you and recommend you to family and friends. The argument for adopting a best policy approach is not limited to the obeying the law but has its roots in commercial benefits and social responsibility.
Contact VST if you would like to know more about transcribing your documents into Braille or alternative formats.
Would you rather recruit legal secretaries or fee earners?
May 21, 2009
We all know the pitfalls of recruitment, training and retaining. It can be a costly and time consuming exercise (especially if you recruit the wrong person) so given the choice would you rather spend your time recruiting fee earners or support staff? I guess the answer is a no-brainer. If you’re going to expend on salary, office space, equipment and insurances, you’ll be far more concerned to have a good return on your investment and will want to choose high quality fee earners.
Document Direct can replace the typist’s role in your firm. We speak your language, understand your processes and systems and our services can complement your existing support staff so you can deliver outstanding service to your clients.
If you are looking to recruit a legal secretary, stop right here, as we’re the alternative.
If you’re looking to recruit a fee earner the same criteria applies. I suppose you would want to speak to someone who understands your needs, speaks your language and wants to help you deliver the best service to your clients.
David Artingstall of Future Legal Recruitment is a former Senior Partner of a national law firm who now has a legal recruitment business.
- His business partner is Caroline Medcalfe who has worked in legal recruitment for a major firm for several years
- Between them they know Legal Recruitment well … from both sides of the fence
- Their service is personal and hard working and not targets driven
In turbulent times, there’s lots of changes happening and having a chat with someone who deals with firms on a very personal basis means individual’s ambitions and goals can be matched to recruiter’s needs and vice versa.
Trust Future Legal with Your Legal Future
Are you living your dream?
May 19, 2009
Marmite. Either love it or hate it. The same can be said for IT (that’s “information technology” before you get the wrong idea).
Just a few years ago I never thought I would have my dream job where I could work when I wanted (and needed) to, from wherever I was. Our technology really does help with a work/life balance. In this Computer Weekly article I share my “living the dream” experience.
Would flexible working times and places suit you? Would you like to be able to work remotely from your office, perhaps whilst mobile, and have a secretarial support service available 24 hours a day so you’re free to take the day off knowing you can ”catch up” in the evenings?
I’m interested to learn you views. Please leave a comment below.
Jayne
Widows and orphans can ruin your presentation
April 24, 2009
Widows and orphans are the terms used to describe a heading left on its own at the bottom of a page or a single line of a paragraph appearing at the top of a new page. Using widow/orphan control and Keep With Next codes ensures your documents are professional presented.
The Keep With Next code is a little known feature of Microsoft Word. The code is applied to a paragraph and used mainly for headings in a document to prevent them appearing on their own at the bottom of a page. Using the Keep With Next code means the document can flow without having to insert page breaks or empty line spaces, it will be less prone to errors in formatting and speeds up the process of producing professionally presented documents.
Word 2007: On the Home ribbon, click on the button to show the Paragraph dialogue box.
Word 2003: Click on Format-Paragraph
The option to choose Keep With Next appears on the Line and Page Breaks tab (pictured).
Increase your speed and use shortcut keys.
Press and hold the Alt key then press letters O, P, X.
If you use the show/hide feature (¶ button), you will see the small square dot at the beginning of your paragraph which means Keep With Next is applied.
If you liked this tip please leave a comment in the box at the bottom of this page.
Legal Forms for our clients
March 23, 2009
Document Direct is now using PRINT@Form Online, the newest product from PEAPOD LEGALOffice Limited ® which gives clients access to more than 1,400 legal forms which are constantly kept updated and available online by Peapod.
Document Direct can deliver clients a printable version of the completed form. Simply dictate the form or send us a fax of your handwritten form and our secretaries will forward a completed PDF version of the form direct to your email address. This is very useful if you’re working away from your offices and don’t have remote access to your office systems or, for that matter, access to any legal forms, you remote outsourced secretaries can help you.
Built using the existing and well established PRINTAForm software, PRINT@Form Online is a full legal forms package available on the Internet.
Using PRINT@Form Online will allow you peace of mind, knowing that you are always using the most up to date form. The technology used allows automatic calculation of forms such as IHT’s and Form E improving accuracy and efficiency. To find out more, please click here to register your interest.
For added value, Document Direct will complete your dictated forms for the same cost as our standard dictation charges.
If you would like to open an account with us and get started, then click here.
Recession-busting advice from Britain’s Sales Trainer of the Year
February 19, 2009
One of our clients – Andy Bounds (we helped type his best-selling book The Jelly Effect for him) – has won the prestigious title of Britain’s Sales Trainer of the Year 2008/9.
One of the key reasons for his success is his unparalleled ability to help organisations sell more, especially in these troubled times (his clients won £3 billion last year!).
I asked him for some top tips on how to sell more in a recession. This is what he said:
- More than ever, it is imperative to deliver a significant, measurable return on investment (ROI) for your clients. They just will not spend unless they can see they will be in a better place after buying from you.
- This means, of course, that traditional selling messages – “about us”, “our credentials”, “why we are great” – won’t work any more, because they don’t highlight ROI.
- Instead, when talking to potential customers, our sole focus must be on them – not us – and the future value they want us to bring. To do this, simply ask lots of future-based questions, to find what’s crucial to them, such as:
- What are you looking to achieve here?
- How will you know it’s worked?
- How would you judge our working relationship to be a success? etc.
- Clarity on their desired future state will guide your ensuing discussions. After all, which legal practice would you buy from:
- Practice A: who said “We are experts in X, X and X, have X partners in X locations and are specialists in X”; or,
- Practice B: “When we spoke last week, you said that – in the current climate – your key focus has to be on your core business. You want to give all your time and energy to it. We can help you do that, by removing the current time you’re spending on certain legal issues, freeing you up to …”
It’s an obvious choice. Notice how the Practice B repeatedly used the word “you”. If you’re talking about the client, you’re helping them. If you keep talking about yourself, you’re selling. And nobody wants to be sold to these days.
It’s good advice, isn’t it? Simple, obvious and practical. Andy has lots of other free advice about wining business on his Resource centre – click here to take a look.
Or, if you feel your practice could do with an immediate injection of new business, go straight to the man himself on andy@andybounds.com.
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