Survey for my final project

As part of my final project, which I will post to my blog when it is done, I decided to do a survey to help me gage the interest and need for the document I am planning on developing. I thought I would share the survey and the results because I think its informatie and interesting. The results are based on the response of ten low income and homeless individuals who live in the innercity.

Survey:
Support Services and Organizations Resource Book Responses

1) Where do you currently get information regarding support services and organizations?

-The majority of people get their information from word of mouth (friends, family)
-Asking councillors and service workers for information
-Bissell Center Co-Op (notice boards)
-Only one person I spoke to accessed information through the internet. This is because his sister has a computer at home

2) How often do you have access to the internet?

-The vast majority of the people I spoke to do not use the internet or have access to a computer
-One man said he has never gone on the internet in his life
-Several people said they don’t know how to use it properly
-If they want to use the internet the public library downtown is the only place they can go

3) Do you think there are problems or boundaries to accessing information you need?

-Some people commented that they have difficulty figuring out what exactly it is that they need and who to go to access it
-Not knowing what services are even available limits their ability and knowledge on the type of help they can get

4) Do you know of or have you seen any resource guidebooks available?

-There is one printed guidebook called “Tough Times Handbook”
-Only one person I spoke to knew about the book
-Everyone else I surveyed did not know of any other printed resource guides

5) How do you feel about the idea of a guidebook that had all the contact and resources in Edmonton all in one place?

-There was overwhelming support by everyone I surveyed for the creation and distribution of such a guidebook
-When I was leaving the center one of the women I had surveyed shouted out “Hope to see that guidebook out soon!”

6) If there was such a product available would you want one?

-Everyone said yes and they would use it
-They supported the idea of having a small, durable booklet
-Several people commented that it should be waterproof
-The one woman that knew about the “Tough Times Handbook”  commented that it was too big to carry around and that it was made out of this paper that would easily tear or get wet in their backpacks. She also commented that if there was to be a new book it should be hard covered to make it more durable.

7) Are there any specific particular services or organizations you would like to see in there?

-One woman commented that they should create a separate one geared towards women specifically
-Doctors and housing referrals and information seemed to be a common concern that people would like to get more information about
-One man commented that he would like to be able to have access to professionals to get advice (lawyers, doctors) rather than have to rely on third party advice
-There should be short descriptions of services that are simple so that everyone can understand. One person commented that a lot of people don’t have good reading skills and it may be hard for them to understand complicated descriptions

Additional comments:

-The “Tough Times Handbook” is typically provided to people by social workers (created problems among those who do not have or regularly see social workers)
-The one woman who was familiar with the book also said that they often run out of them
-Bus route information for key service locations would be useful
-Pictures or logos of services or organization signs would be useful to create more understanding or familiarity of services
-Bavie Sara commented that the BMHC does a lot of referrals and calling around for their clients rather than providing or directing them to where they can find contact information for services/information