Making Sense Programme: final report

Annex A : Dyslexia guidance and checklist for websites for local authorities

Purpose of the Checklist

This checklist is intended to support local authorities to develop their websites, ensuring that they include appropriate guidance, information and contact details relating to provision for children and young people with dyslexia.

Background

In May 2014, Education Scotland published the ‘Making Sense: Education for children and young people with Dyslexia’ report. There were five key recommendations in the report. The Scottish Government issued a response in June 2014, which was supportive of the five recommendations.

The first recommendation of this report was that,

‘Teachers, support staff, learners and parents should have access to up-to-date practical advice and guidance on dyslexia.’

As part of this recommendation, the report also stated that,

‘Local authority websites, including guidance for parents, must contain information and contact details relating to provision for children and young people with additional support needs, including those with dyslexia, in line with responsibilities under section 26 of the Additional Support for Learning Act’.

The Making Sense Working Group

(Full membership details are available at the following link:

https://www.gov.scot/groups/dyslexia-making-sense-working-group/ )

Checklist

1. Is there a good search facility with key words including dyslexia?

If visitors do a word search on ‘dyslexia’, ‘additional support for learning’ additional support needs’, literacy difficulties’, ‘learning difficulties’, does it take them directly link to a page/pages with clear information that is easily accessible for parents and young people?

2. Does the website include links to the following local and national information?

Local

• Literacy Strategy/policy – local authority
• Dyslexia policy/pathway and guidelines – local authority
• Parents’ guide – local authority
• Accessibility Strategy – local authority
• Local authority Dyslexia Support Teams (if/where they exist)
• Local authority Assistive Technology/Additional Support Needs and ICT Support teams (if/where they exist)
• Local health and wellbeing, anti-bullying organisations

National

• Online Addressing Dyslexia Toolkit
• Enquire Parents’ Guide
• Scottish Government Dyslexia webpages: http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Education/Schools/welfare/ASL/dyslexia
• Scottish Government working definition on dyslexia
• Education Scotland ‘Making sense’ review: Executive summary
• Education Scotland ‘Making sense’ review: Full report
• Education Scotland ‘Making sense’ review: Scottish Government working group
• Scottish Literacy Action Plan
• Accessibility Strategies Guidance
• Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004 (as amended)
• The Supporting Children’s Learning Code of Practice
• Education Scotland Guidance for teachers on Career-long professional learning
• Scottish Teacher Education Committee Framework for Inclusion

3. Does the information include links to relevant useful organisations and Helplines for parents, carers and young people?

• Dyslexia Scotland
• Dyslexia Unwrapped
• CALL Scotland
• Enquire
• Reach (Enquire’s website for children and young people)
• Govan Law Centre
• Scottish Independent Advocacy Alliance
• Education Scotland Parentzone Scotland
• Young Scot
• Scotland's Commissioner for Children and Young People
• British Dyslexia Association Technology web site www.bdatech.org
• https://reach.scot/myrightsmysay/ (Children’s rights service, funded by the Scottish Government)

4. Does this information make links to useful national and local organisations that work with vulnerable children, such as Looked After Children?

• Scottish Government information on Looked After Children and Young People
• Centre for Excellence for Looked After Children (CELCIS)
• Children in Scotland
• Raising Attainment for All

5. Are the website and the information provided dyslexia-friendly?

This leaflet produced by Dyslexia Scotland offers advice on Dyslexia-Friendly Formats. Website designers should be aware that many staff, parents and young people may be dyslexic. The website should follow W3C accessibility guidelines and good practice with respect to visual design, colour and fonts.

Refer to http://uxmovement.com/content/6-surprising-bad-practices-that-hurt-dyslexic-users/ for specific advice on web sites.

This check list can be found on the Addressing Dyslexia Toolkit Website