What is accessible prevention?
All too often, substance misuse prevention programming is not accessible to individuals with disabilities and chronic illnesses.
Location
The first step is to ensure your programming takes place in a universally accessible space. Some aspects of accessibility include access by public transportation, time of day, step free entrances, and rooms with clear walking paths. The space you use needs to be welcoming to everyone, regardless of their ability level.
Material accessibility
The second step is to assess your materials for accessibility. Creating alternate versions of things ahead of time, such as large print or audio versions, will make it much easier to provide accommodations when needed. You also want to ensure all your materials and handouts use clear and easy to understand language.
Cultural competence
The third step is to assess your level of knowledge about disability and chronic illness cultural competencies. If you have not been trained on how to work with disabled individuals, seeking training is a good idea. It is important to understand the variety of needs individuals might have before you are required to meet those needs in the moment.
Read the full post: Exploring Substance Misuse Programming on Global Accessibility Day.