Accessible content for families: Making your website and resources speak their language
Tracks
2
Continuous quality improvement
Evidence based practice
Quality improvement
| Friday, June 13, 2025 |
| 10:30 AM - 10:40 AM |
Overview
Dr Shaun Ziegenfusz and Clancy Conlon
Details
⏫ Skill-building session
⏲️ 10.30am - 11.30am
⌛ 60-minutes
📚 Assumed knowledge of attendees: Foundational (new/casual familiarity with the topic e.g. treated a single case)
⏲️ 10.30am - 11.30am
⌛ 60-minutes
📚 Assumed knowledge of attendees: Foundational (new/casual familiarity with the topic e.g. treated a single case)
Presenter
Dr Shaun Ziegenfusz
Griffith University | The DLD Project
Accessible content for families: Making your website and resources speak their language
10:30 AM - 11:30 AMPresentation summary
In this digital age, health information if often disseminated to parents and caregivers via websites and resources. While speech pathologists are experts in communication, the information presented to parents/caregivers often doesn't "speak their language". This skill building session will briefly address current research evidence before supporting participants to use the piloted framework to develop and evaluate health information for parents/caregivers. Participants can use their own website/resources or a provided case study during the session.
Research Evidence
In 2023, a volunteer group of speech pathologists developed content for parents/caregivers about accessing speech pathology services for the Speech Pathology Australia website. A triangulated mixed methods approach was used to analyse data from 104 parents/caregivers regarding their perceptions of the content. Data were gathered through an online survey incorporating a 5-point Likert scale. Participants agreed the content was useful (M = 4.30) and readable (M = 4.37), while impacting their knowledge of speech pathology services (M = 4.29). Views did not differ based on parents’ geographical location (metropolitan/regional/rural), prior exposure to speech pathology services, or highest level of education.
Skill-Building Session
Participants will benefit from accessing a laptop or smartphone for the session to access their website/resources or the case study provided. Participants will be guided through the process of evaluating and revising the content based on research evidence including the Sydney Health Literacy Lab (SHeLL) editor, which will establish a Grade Reading Score based on the Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG) formula. The participants will work in pairs/small groups with support from the presenters to revise the health information to increase accessibility for parents/caregivers. Opportunities to share learnings amongst participants will be facilitated. By the end of the session, participants will leave with content for their workplace which is accessible to parents/caregivers from diverse backgrounds.
Research Evidence
In 2023, a volunteer group of speech pathologists developed content for parents/caregivers about accessing speech pathology services for the Speech Pathology Australia website. A triangulated mixed methods approach was used to analyse data from 104 parents/caregivers regarding their perceptions of the content. Data were gathered through an online survey incorporating a 5-point Likert scale. Participants agreed the content was useful (M = 4.30) and readable (M = 4.37), while impacting their knowledge of speech pathology services (M = 4.29). Views did not differ based on parents’ geographical location (metropolitan/regional/rural), prior exposure to speech pathology services, or highest level of education.
Skill-Building Session
Participants will benefit from accessing a laptop or smartphone for the session to access their website/resources or the case study provided. Participants will be guided through the process of evaluating and revising the content based on research evidence including the Sydney Health Literacy Lab (SHeLL) editor, which will establish a Grade Reading Score based on the Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG) formula. The participants will work in pairs/small groups with support from the presenters to revise the health information to increase accessibility for parents/caregivers. Opportunities to share learnings amongst participants will be facilitated. By the end of the session, participants will leave with content for their workplace which is accessible to parents/caregivers from diverse backgrounds.
Refrences
Ayre, J., Bonner, C., Gonzalez, J., Vaccaro, T., Cousins, M., McCaffery, K., & Muscat, D. M. (2023). Integrating consumer perspectives into a large-scale health literacy audit of health information materials: Learnings and next steps. BMC Health Services Research, 23(1), 416–416. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-023-09434-3
Sørensen, K., Van den Broucke, S., Fullam, J., Doyle, G., Pelikan, J., Slonska, Z., & Brand, H. (2012). Health literacy and public health: A systematic review and integration of definitions and models. BMC Public Health, 12(1), 80–80. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-12-80
Turnbull, H., Dark, L., Carnemolla, P., Skinner, I., & Hemsley, B. (2023). A systematic review of the health literacy of adults with lifelong communication disability: Looking beyond accessing and understanding information. Patient Education and Counseling, 106, 151–162. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pec.2022.10.008
Sørensen, K., Van den Broucke, S., Fullam, J., Doyle, G., Pelikan, J., Slonska, Z., & Brand, H. (2012). Health literacy and public health: A systematic review and integration of definitions and models. BMC Public Health, 12(1), 80–80. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-12-80
Turnbull, H., Dark, L., Carnemolla, P., Skinner, I., & Hemsley, B. (2023). A systematic review of the health literacy of adults with lifelong communication disability: Looking beyond accessing and understanding information. Patient Education and Counseling, 106, 151–162. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pec.2022.10.008
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Dr Shaun Ziegenfusz is the Co-CEO/Co-Founder of The DLD Project and Lecturer a Griffith University. His research focuses on Developmental Language Disorder (DLD). As a practising speech pathologist, Shaun has extensive experience working with young people, families and educators in school settings. He is proud to be an International Committee member for Raising Awareness of Developmental Language Disorder (RADLD) with reach into more than 30 countries globally. Shaun is also the Chair of The DLD Project Foundation, which is the peak DLD body in Australia to support individuals with DLD and their families.
Miss Clancy Conlon
CQUniversity
Accessible content for families: Making your website and resources speak their language
10:30 AM - 11:30 AM**********
Clancy Conlon is a lecturer at CQUniversity in Rockhampton, QLD. Clancy’s teaching areas include paediatric speech and language as well as augmentative and alternative communication across the lifespan. Clancy is currently enrolled in her PhD through CQUniversity investigating the training experiences, attitudes and self-perceived competence and confidence of Australian speech language pathologists in Augmentative and Alternative Communication. Clancy continues to provide clinical services within the disability sector in Australia and overseas in under resourced settings.
The information contained in this program is current at of the time of publishing but is subject to changes made without notice.
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