Glossary

British Sign Language (BSL)

British Sign Language (BSL)is a language that uses visual gestures and space by using the hands, body, face and head. It has its own principles of grammar. BSL interpreters translate the spoken language to BSL for a Deaf person and BSL into spoken language for a hearing person.

Do you think the definition for 'British Sign Language' is wrong? Email definition@pollinationcampaigns.co.uk to suggest an amendment or an alternative.

Diffusion

Diffusion of innovation is the study of how, why, and at what rate new ideas and technology spread through cultures.

Much of the work of The Pollen Shop challenges the idea that the diffusion of innovation is a benign process. This is because we believe that many groups of people are locked out of accessing a technology because of potential barriers within the technology, how it is promoted and how people are supported to use it.

Do you think the definition for 'Diffusion' is wrong? Email definition@pollinationcampigns.co.uk to suggest an amendment or an alternative.

(Accessible) Focus group

A focus group is a form of research where people are asked in a group setting a series of questions to find out their attitude an idea, product, service, or way of doing things. Everything from the design of cars through to the packaging of a packet of cornflakes is usually subject to a focus group.

Focus groups can be a good research tool if they are run accessibly and care is taken when selecting participants and the facilitator. They can however be a subtitle way of progressing an agenda or isolating difficult opinions.

What focus groups can't do well

Approve a decision
Give yes / no answers

What focus groups can do well

Reflect a range of opinion
Suggest something will work / won't work

Do you think the definition for '(Accessible) Focus group' is wrong? Email definition@pollinationcampigns.co.uk to suggest an amendment or an alternative.

Grassroots organisations

Grassroots organisationsare those made up and led by members of a community, rather than organised by professional or centralised structures. These groups may be made up of people living in the same area, but are sometimes around sharing language, gender or country of origin. They can also be around a common interest such as being lone parents or being homeless.

Do you think the definition for 'Grassroots organisations' is wrong? Email definition@pollinationcampaigns.co.uk to suggest an amendment or an alternative.

Seldom listened to groups (Also known as seldom-heard-from groups or hard to reach groups)

This is a term used to describe groups of people that often get left out when organisations involve their users or customers.

It includes some groups of disabled people such as learning disabled people or people with neurological conditions like Aspersers Syndrome, some people from Black and Asian Minority Ethnic communities or people with low literacy. It can also be used to include people from traveller gypsy communities, older people and others who use social care services and young people between the ages of 16-24 who are not in education or employment.

How organisations use this term can vary, and depending on the circumstances it include different groups. The alternative terms seldom-heard-from or hard to reach groups shows that organisations often find it difficult to start to talk to these groups of people.

Do you think the definition for 'Seldom listened to groups' is wrong? Email definition@pollinationcampaigns.co.uk to suggest an amendment or an alternative.

Marginalized groups

Marginalised groups is a term used by some people to discribe people who are at risk of being excluded from all or part of society.

The term includes people who are social or eccomomically exlcluded. It also includes
some groups of disabled people such as people with mental health conditions or learning disabilites. young people outside mainstreem education people from some BAME communities esspecally those people who live in communities experencing high levels of poverty the out come of being part of a margionlised group is that a person may find it difficult to get a job, find or use services such as health or education and be left out of the day to day life of a local community.

Do you think the definition for 'Marginalized groups' is wrong? Email definition@pollinationcampaigns.co.uk to suggest an amendment or an alternative.