Benefits of accessible communication

Audio description: A wide shot of the Brisbane Powerhouse as Harmonie Downes, a disability advocate, walks towards the building. A close up shot of her feet as she walks across a line of tactile ground surface indicators. A close up shot of a sign that reads: Welcome to Brisbane Powerhouse. We cut to a shot of Harmonie Downes in an interview-style set up. Her title appears on screen and reads: “Harmonie Downes, Disability advocate”.

Harmonie Downes: I’m Harmonie Downes. I’ve been working as a disability advocate for the past 20 years and I have low vision. Everyone benefits when access is forefront, it’s part of universal design. If I was thinking about access in terms of a venue, the environmental access in terms of the TGSI, the Tactile Ground Surface Indicators, signage, thinking about how we access things like tickets and menus, all sorts of things like that.

Audio description: We cut to Harmonie approaching the Brisbane Powerhouse Box Office and Information Desk. Krisia, a Brisbane Powerhouse box office attendant, stands to greet her. After a short discussion, Krisia then points Harmonie in a particular direction within the venue. A montage of close up shots of various signs around the venue: accessibility icons on a wayfinding sign near the lifts; a performance warning sign that reads “Warning, intermittent loud noises and minor strobe lights in progress”. The sign also includes relevant symbols to convey this information. We cut to a shot of further tactile ground surface indicators within the venue, at the bottom and top of an accessible ramp. Text on screen reads “Accessible ramp and tactile ground surface indicators”. We cut to Harmonie in a café, looking over a menu whilst a waiter takes her order. We cut back to Harmonie’s interview.

Harmonie Downes: When you have good communication it means that its accessible for so many different people. If you have that accessibility within your venue, put it on your website.

Audio description: Krisia sits at the Box Office and Information Desk, using a computer. She navigates around a page titled ‘Communication Board, Brisbane Powerhouse’. We cut to a shot of Krisia in an interview-style set up. Her title appears on screen and reads: “Krisia, Box office attendant, Brisbane Powerhouse.

Krisia: My name is Krisia and I work at the box office at Brisbane Powerhouse. We offer so many beautiful arts and culture activities and events. I think its super important for a person to feel comfortable to come to this space and experience those and feel that they are attended to and heard.

Audio description: We cut back to the scene with Harmonie and Krisia at the Box Office desk as the two of them engage in conversation. A close up of a sign with a QR code reading “Feedback”. We cut back to Harmonie’s interview.

Harmonie Downes: That is what equal access is, it’s actually making sure that everyone can participate in the way that they choose.

Audio description: A montage of shots on the Business Queensland website: “Disability action plan” is typed into a search bar at the top of the page, a header on a screen reading “How to make your workplace accessible”. We cut back to Harmonie’s interview.

Harmonie Downes: You can just start small, simple steps. It’s a gradual process. Access makes good business sense and it makes society much more inclusive for everybody.

Audio description: Harmonie walking and smiling. A Queensland Government logo graphic appears. It reads: Delivering for Queensland.