Call for consultants: Updating the CPA’s Disability Inclusive Communications Guidelines

Overview

The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Secretariat seeks a consultant (or consultants collectively) to update its 'Disability Inclusive Communications Guidelines.'

The call is for applicants to fill one or two positions to review the existing Guidelines and to determine what updates should be included to bring the Guidelines up to date with current developments.

About the Project

Project Background

The CPA Headquarters Secretariat will commission an update of its 'Disability Inclusive Communications Guidelines', first published in 2020, to give advice and guidance and provide education on how institutions can improve the accessibility of their communications to persons with disabilities. The guidelines should provide various examples of best practices that Parliaments can adopt to ensure they sensitively address Parliamentarians, parliamentary staff and visitors to their institution with disabilities.

Although aimed at a parliamentary audience, the toolkit will incorporate views from academia and other experts in offering a variety of perspectives to ensure that the approaches highlighted in the publication are practical and effective.

The guidelines will provide a starting guide for what language and services can enable and enhance the participation of persons with disabilities in parliament. Though the Commonwealth has a profoundly diverse range of parliaments in their cultures and resources, the guidelines will emphasise that being more inclusive to persons with disabilities is a positive step that any legislature can take. There is expected to be a range of case studies in the guidelines promoting how achievable it can be for legislatures to improve their accessibility regardless of their size or resources.

Key Documents:

Applicants are encouraged to thoroughly read the previous Guidelines to familiarise themselves with the project.

Role Requirements

• To be considered for the post, applicants should have at least five years’ experience working in a parliamentary or related academic setting and have some experience in adapting the accessibility of materials for use by persons with disabilities and establishing accessibility standards within workplaces/professional environments.

• The successful candidate(s) is expected to work remotely and regularly meet with Secretariat staff to update on progress. Applicants from any Commonwealth jurisdiction are welcome to apply.

• Applicants must be fluent in English and are expected to be available between 16 October – 6 December 2023, although some exceptions will be considered.

Contract and how to apply

The contract will be for £5,000 GBP (inclusive of taxes).

If you would like to be considered for the position, please complete the below form by Wednesday, 4 October 2023 (23:59 GMT).

For further information on the project, please get in touch with Clive Barker, Programmes Manager, CPA Headquarters Secretariat, T: 44-20-7227-1692 (Direct Line), clive.barker@cpahq.org. 

Webpage updated 05/09/2023