{"id":1387,"date":"2022-11-16T08:55:35","date_gmt":"2022-11-16T08:55:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.gov.scot\/participation\/?p=1387"},"modified":"2022-11-16T08:55:35","modified_gmt":"2022-11-16T08:55:35","slug":"understanding-and-being-understood","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.gov.scot\/participation\/2022\/11\/16\/understanding-and-being-understood\/","title":{"rendered":"Understanding and being understood – the importance of inclusive communications and child-friendly materials"},"content":{"rendered":"

Information is power.<\/p>\n

Communication is powerful.<\/p>\n

Everyone has the right to receive information and express their views, including children and young people.<\/p>\n

Right to information<\/h3>\n

Access to information is essential for any individual to engage with and actively participate in society.<\/p>\n

However information alone is not enough.\u00a0For information to fulfil its purpose and be truly meaningful it has to be presented in a format that the user understands.<\/p>\n

In order to fully experience their rights, particularly Articles 2, 12, 13, 17 and 42, children and young people should have access to information and experience interactions with others that are designed to meet their communication needs and preferences and take an inclusive approach.<\/p>\n

Inclusive communication approaches apply to all types of communication: verbal, written, face-to-face, digital or online. Use of safe, accessible and respectful spaces where children and young people feel comfortable to share their views and engage with others is an essential part supporting their meaningful participation and the realisation of their wider rights.<\/p>\n

The Lundy Model of Child Participation<\/a> provides useful insight into how adults can create environments and interactions that facilitate children\u2019s meaningful engagement. The elements of Space and Voice within the model may be of particular interest to those considering how an inclusive communication approach can be applied.<\/p>\n

\"Model<\/a>

Taken from: Lundy, L. (2007) \u2018\u2018Voice\u2019 is not enough: conceptualising Article 12 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child\u2019, British Educational Research Journal, 33:6, Pp. 927-942.<\/p><\/div>\n

Creating child-friendly materials<\/h3>\n

Child-friendly materials are usually much shorter than the original papers and only cover the main points rather than providing lots of detailed information. By providing key pieces of information, child-friendly versions can support children\u2019s understanding of what the paper is all about and signpost readers to other sources if they wish to explore the issue further.<\/p>\n

Access the European Commission\u2019s guide<\/a> on creating child-friendly versions of written documents.<\/p>\n

Within rights-respecting practice the creation of child-friendly materials is best achieved through co-production: exploring factors such as format, style, content, language and tone with children and young people provides valuable insight to ensure key messages appeal to and reach their intended audience.<\/p>\n

Follow the links below to view some good examples of child-friendly materials:<\/p>\n