ANDREW CHESTERMAN: CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, REDLAND CITY COUNCIL

As a father to a 19 year old son with an intellectual disability and no speech, I often reflect on the role of all levels of government and how they ‘speak to’ my son and how they understand and respond to his needs. I am also curious as to why the businesses who want him as their customer, sometimes make interacting with them so difficult.

So in the case of my son, and others without a voice, in this decade of ideas, planning, excitement and major projects, the opportunity ahead is that of creating a Queensland that takes everyone on
the journey.

What would Queensland look like if it capitalised on its already international brand of lifestyle and liveability, if it was truly known for it’s friendliness and inclusiveness?

One symbol that we are a State for all is to use common, and universal, forms of communication when the message is for us all to consume.

Spend just part of your day looking at signs and instructions competing for your attention and then wonder – what if you couldn’t read? What if you were from a non-English speaking country? What if you you were functionally illiterate, as almost half of the Australian population is? That’s the hidden statistic that reveals the millions who find it difficult to read a map, follow a recipe, and have reading and writing skills that are inadequate to everyday needs. Almost all written, instructional, and way-finding signs can be simplified by using symbols.

Where symbols don’t work, simplifying language is a acquired skill – writing for the same meaning, with less words, is something most organisations could do well to learn.

So what about a Queensland Communication Style-guide? Let everyone keep their logos and company brands – but lets just settle on the signs, symbols and language we use to explain common content. And as we move forward, use available technology to provide progressive levels of information – dependent on the needs (and literacy levels) of the user.

My son talks with his hands, his phone, his watch and iPad. He reads simple language and uses his technology to translate the complex. I’d love to see Queensland, by-design and by default, take his needs, and others like him, into account in the decade ahead to make the legacy we talk so much about, an impact for all people for the rest of their lives.