Word Up & Access Alert Self-Advocacy Campaigns
Word Up!
Word Up! is the name of a resource campaign developed by Purple Orange around word usage and the concept of disability.
Why
We believe passionately in people living with disability getting a fair go. Unfortunately, media stories involving people living with disability can sometimes, albeit unintentionally, prove counter-productive to the disability community because of the language used.
We also believe that disability is a social construct – that people are not disabled or impaired but that disability arises from communities that are not accessible to everyone.
Often language used, such as ‘wheelchair-bound’, ‘the disabled’, and ‘disabled parking’ serves to reinforce ill-informed community perceptions and result in a culture of diminished values and opportunities.
How we hope it will help
Word Up! is a campaign in response to unhelpful and sometimes offensive words that can appear in the media and other places in relation to stories and messages about people living with disability.
We like to believe that mostly the use of this language is unintentional and is the result of a lack of education and communication. We hope the campaign will raise awareness of suitable language usage and reporting among media professionals and the wider community.
Key features
Purple Orange has produced a Word Up! postcard that can be respectfully posted to media outlets.
This bright purple oversized postcard allows the sender to record examples of the language used, and provides contact details for Purple Orange, offering further guidance. We can also provide training.
Get involved
You can purchase packs of Word Up! postcards from directly from us.
ACESS ALERT
Access Alert is the name of an awareness campaign developed by JFA Purple Orange about access issues.
Why
Our research tells us that many people living with disability experience access difficulties on a regular basis.
An access issue is anything that stops a person from being able to use an amenity that is available to the public. An amenity may include shops, car parks, cinemas, libraries, public transport, recreation parks, and many others.
Barriers causing access issues can include:
- Physical barriers - that stop people using mobility aids from getting into and around a venue, or make it hard for a person with a visual or hearing impairment to use the venue.
- Economic barriers – if an amenity has an additional charge for a person with a particular need to use a venue.
- Attitude barriers – where the attitude and behaviour of staff at a venue serves to diminish or discourage a person living with disability from using the venue.
- Resource barriers – where there are no people employed at the amenity to assist someone living with disability.
All organisations have obligations under the federal Disability Discrimination Act 1992 and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
How we hope it will help
Many organisations may be unaware of the access issues that exist in their amenities. We carefully designed the Access Alert! campaign to capture people’s attention and encourage them to become more educated about access issues.
The campaign is about active Citizenhood, and it is through the actions and voices of citizens that things change for the better.
Key features
Purple Orange has produced an Access Alert! postcard that can be respectfully posted to venues.
This bright red, oversized postcard allows the sender to record examples of access issues encountered, and provides contact details for Purple Orange, offering further guidance.
It also reminds the venue of their legal obligations.