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I have just received my census form and.....

(31 Posts)
M0nica Tue 02-Mar-21 12:02:03

I am left bemused that for a document that needs to be filled in by everyone, the leaflet being sent out can be guaranteed to exclude the poorest and most disadvantaged in society from completing it.

I have the purple leaflet being sent out. It looks very nice, nice clean design, good use of colour, use of typeface and spacing to make it easably readableBUT then we get to the text itself. The whole centre space of the leaflet is given to the hows and whys of the census, predicated on the basis that you will be filling it in online.

The back page is a help page, done all in bullet points and in a way that I think those that most need help will find it difficult to engage with. Who will need help, there will be a large group of older people - a group most likely to be elderly, infirm - totally unfamiliar with computer technology. Ther will be that group of poorer people, who may have a low level of educaton and struggle with reading, those whose English is not good, who have no access to a computer and do not use computers because they are an unaffordable luxury.

So many, so many for whom the text and presentation of help on this leaflet will be a challenge to understand, or to follow up because its presentation is so abrupt and poor.

Chakotay Wed 03-Mar-21 06:25:49

growstuff

Why do people need to show ID? They don't have to prove their identity to fill in the form, although I think a signature is probably required by the person completing the information.

If that is in answer to my post I mean the census workers, if someone comes to your home to help you with your form or ask why you haven't filled it in they would have to show ID - would you start answering questions about yourself to someone who just fetches up on your door step without seeing their authorisation - I wouldn't

Whitewavemark2 Wed 03-Mar-21 09:02:36

Done ours.

Witzend Wed 03-Mar-21 09:21:05

After he’d retired (decades ago now) my father had a temp job as a person who goes knocking on doors for the census.

He was very personable and sociable, enjoyed it, and particularly liked telling the story of one house where (in his words) ‘....a bloody great hare!’ came bounding down the stairs to greet him.

I’ve never heard of a ‘house hare’ either before or since.

Grandma70s Wed 03-Mar-21 09:23:24

A school friend of mine had a pet hare that Iived in the house!

Witzend Wed 03-Mar-21 09:28:10

Was it perchance anywhere in Hampshire, @Grandma70s?