The Communication Initiative
Development action with informed and engaged societies
The Communication Initiative

After nearly 28 years, The Communication Initiative (The CI) Global is entering a new chapter. 

Following a period of transition, the global website has been transferred to the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) in South Africa, where it will be administered by the Social and Behaviour Change Communication Division. Wits' commitment to social change and justice makes it a trusted steward for The CI's legacy and future. 

On the transfer, co-founder Victoria Martin expressed her pleasure to see this work continue under Wits' leadership, knowing that co-founder Warren Feek (1953–2024) would have felt deep pride in The CI Global's Africa-led direction. 

As Wits, we honour the team and partners who sustained The CI for decades and look forward building from that strong base. This includes co-founders Warren Feek (1953-2024) and Victoria Martin as well as La Iniciativa de Comunicación (CILA), which continues independently at lainiciativadecomunicacion.com with links to The CI Global site. We are also eager to forge new partnerships and entertain new ideas as we consider how best to contribute to social and behaviour change in our rapidly evolving environment.

If you are joining the International Social and Behaviour Change Communication (SBCC) Summit in Panama, please join Wits and CILA on Monday, 22 June, to share your thoughts and suggestion for the relaunch of the Communication Initiative. We will be in Pacifica 5 from 12-1:25 for the Refuel, Reflect, and Renew Lunch Series: The Communication Initiative: celebrating a driving force for Communication for Social Change and the way forward. We will reflect on the legacy of Warren Feek and family in creating the Communication Initiative, consider the contributions of CI over the years and then turn our attention towards the future in this dynamic session. 

If you are unable to join us in Panama, we still want to hear from you. Please contribute your thoughts by following this link: https://redcap.link/CommunicationInitiative2026 or reaching out to ci_surveys@commint.com. 

You can also follow the QR Code:

 https://redcap.link/CommunicationInitiative2026

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Disability 50 Report:

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Summary

This research survey indicates that the majority of United Kingdom's disability organisations do not address accessibility needs sufficiently in their own web and digital communications. Carried out by Ethical Media between January and March 2004, this research suggests that a gap seems to exist between the rhetoric and the reality of disability groups' communications activities. "This report is intended to raise awareness of the exciting challenges we all face in demonstratinghow accessibility can and should be an integrated part of website design and development."


Specifically, The Disability 50 Report reviews the standard of accessibility of 50 leading UK disability websites, benchmarking these against the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) developed by global and industry-led standards body the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). (Click here to access these guidelines). Here are some of Ethical Media's findings:

  • 58% of websites surveyed failed to achieve a compliance level that the WCAG describes as compulsory. This reflects the fact that one or more groups would find it impossible to access information on these websites.
  • 86% failed to achieve a compliance level that WCAG describes as important, since one or more groups would find it difficult to access information.
  • 92% failed to achieve a compliance level that WCAG describes as advisable because one or more groups would find it somewhat difficult to access information.
  • 84% failed to express and stick to defined web standards for their web pages. As W3C states "Sites developed along these lines will continue to function correctly as traditional desktop browsers evolve, and as new Internet devices come to market."

The research, however, revealed a few examples of good practice, notably AbilityNet and the British Council for Disabled People. The paper highlights some of the features that made these websites particularly accessible to disabled users, including:

  • Clear navigation; easy to find out who the organisation is, what it does, and how to make contact for further information
  • Customisable user preferences and a help section on how to use the website
  • "Friendly" web addresses - easily bookmarked and memorised
  • Information easy to find; important information highlighted
  • Clear and good use of headings to structure the pages
  • A wide range of content and opportunities presented clearly and consistently.

Head of Digital Communications at Ethical Media Keith Patton offers the following reflections on the findings: "...organisations in or supporting the disability sector do not yet adequately consider web accessibility and usability as a priority in their communications strategies. As a result, significant proportions of users are likely to find it difficult, even impossible, to access information, restricting the flow of communication between any given organisation and its customer base." Managing Director of Ethical Media Paul Sternberg agrees: "Ethical Media's survey...shows the number of conflicting communications pressures that these organisations face. With the right approach and strategy there is no reason why disability groups can't integrate accessibility within their own communications."


To request a copy of this report in either PDF or Word format, please contact:

Keith Patton

Technical Director, Ethical Media

Ethical Media Ltd

Studio D, 5 Torrens Street

London, EC1V 1NQ

Tel.: 0044 (0) 207 833 8825

keith@ethicalmedia.com


Source

Letters sent from Ethical Media to The Communication Initiative on April 10 and June 2 2004; and "Disability Organisations Failing to Meet Challenge on Accessibility" on the Ethical Media website.