Communication with the Resident Panel will always be via email. Each email will be written in plain English, and you will have an option to view the email in your browser to use your preferred assistive technologies alongside the communication.
We will not be able to provide phone calls as a communication channel to Resident Panel members. If you need assistance with any of the emails you receive, please contact residentpanel@housing-ombudsman.org.uk
Website accessibility
The Housing Ombudsman website is supported by a digital inclusion tool called ReachDeck.
ReachDeck is there to make our content accessible and usable for everyone. To activate the tool, you can select the accessibility icon from the bottom left of your screen. This will add a toolbar to the top of your screen where you can select a range of options from translation services to screen masks and audio.
More information about the accessibility of our website can be found in our accessibility statement.
We use Zoom as the platform to host online meetings. This is because Zoom is free, easy to use and accessible from most devices.
Zoom also allows us to turn on a chat transcript which provides subtitles when speakers are talking. We can also use the app to allocate members to breakout rooms for smaller group discussions.
If you have not used Zoom before or would like to follow a guide before joining meetings, we have created guidance for Panel members to follow.
During our meetings, we will often share presentations to enhance learning and understanding of the topics being discussed.
We understand that presentations can present challenges for different audiences. To make sure the slides we present can be used by everyone we will always use:
large font
clear headings
accessible colours
plain English
In addition to this, the speaker will speak slowly and clearly, and you will have the options to switch on captions if you wish to read the dialogue.
After every meeting, the presentation will be sent to all panel members.
