Access & Inclusion

Modes of Communication

• Ask families for their communication preferences at the start of every school year. This includes preferred language, technology preferences, and need for any disability accommodations. Ask them to provide this information using a few different strategies - for example, sending home a post card or using a recorded voice message in addition to requesting the information electronically. Begin by casting a wide net and then use increasingly individual approaches to try to hear from everyone. 

• Offer lower-tech options for staying informed. Identify which families are not using email or apps and ensure they receive either phone-based or paper-based information. Families of students who have the most to gain from engaging with you may be the least likely to use higher-tech methods to communicate.

• Provide options for non-readers. Recorded phone messages and videos are two communication methods that allow you to reach large groups while working well for people with dyslexia, lower literacy, and blindness/visual impairment. Videos do not need to be professionally produced - simply recording yourself reading information provided in writing will allow families with lower literacy or visual impairments to access the same information as everyone else. Even better, posting a video allows families to see you smile -- a nearly universal facial expression of warmth and welcome.

• Consider the practical needs of families as you plan opportunities for in-person learning and sharing. The presence of childcare, transportation, and food for meetings remove obstacles to precious opportunities for in-person communication. Providing these supports also sends the message that you value families' time, care about their wellbeing, and genuinely want everyone to be able to participate.

• As you build relationships with families, offer resources for improving communication-related skills. The MA Adult Family Literacy Hotline provides local options for learning English as a Second Language, improving literacy, learning computer skills and more. Even better, partner with a local nonprofit to offer classes right at the school - demonstrating your commitment to their engagement and success.

Language & Cultural Access

• Consider cultural barriers. Common educational practices in the United States may not be familiar to recent immigrants. Examples: the right to receive translated information, the role of families in schools, and the purpose of Caregiver-teacher conferences. Take the time to explain the purpose of these practices and events and how to prepare. Or, check out MASFEC tip sheets (available in multiple languages) in the resources section!

• Provide accurate translation and interpretation. Ensure that everyone who interacts with families know how to access professional translation and interpretation services. Translation apps can be useful for low-stakes, everyday communication - but beware of the high potential for inaccuracy and confusion. Provide a disclaimer on your website or any other communication that utilizes computer translation. Work with bilingual staff members and professional translators to ensure the written materials you send to families make sense.

• Routinely translate into your highest-frequency languages. When families register for school and at the start of each school year, districts and schools should provide a statement that parents may request translation or interpretation at any time. Provide this notice in as many languages as possible (you can use our template!)

• Save time and money through planning.  For longer documents that need to be translated, such as parent handbooks or policy/procedure documents, number each section. In the future, if edits need to be made, you will be able to easily identify the sections that need to be deleted and replaced with updated content.

• Provide professional, licensed, human translation for formal documents and anything requiring a signature. Examples include School Handbook, IEPs, Policy and procedure documents, and permission slips. When families receive a document that has been translated by a computer, they can tell. They may be confused by the translation and may even feel disrespected that you haven’t made sure they would be able to understand a document they are being asked to sign.

• Partner with cultural brokers to more successfully connect with families. Whether they are members of your staff, paid a stipend, or recruited as volunteers, leaders from the cultural groups within your community can be a bridge between school and families. They can connect families with resources and information, educate families in support of your goals, and advocate alongside families to promote change and improvement.

• Improve access while building a leadership opportunity for families by recruiting bilingual families for non-confidential translation projects. For example, they can translate event flyers or help you develop a “translation bank” of phrases, terms, and messages that you use frequently. Be sure to provide them with plenty of time to complete requests and be prepared with a back-up plan if they become unable to complete the project. 

• Learn best practices for working with interpreters. For instance, speak to the person you are communicating with, not the interpreter. Make eye contact, smile, and convey warmth. Speak at a moderate pace to allow the interpreter to keep up, and plan for the additional time that will be required for the interpretation process. Be sure to leave ample space for questions and clarifications. 

Disability Access

• When posting information online, make sure that any linked documents are screen readable. The simplest way to do this is to only post Word Documents or Google Documents and to use the built-in accessibility features included in these software. 

• If a PDF is your best choice, there are several steps involved in making the document screen readable. This can be done for a fee by an accessibility vendor or you can learn how to do this using the Accessibility Wizard in Adobe Acrobat Pro.

• Invite families to identify needed disability accommodations before the start of the school year. Be prepared to provide accommodations such as sign language interpretation.

• Ensure that information available to the general public is accessible. For videos, always provide captions and  include verbal descriptions of images. Include alt-text on all images posted to websites.  Braille should be part of all physical signage.