I have read and agreed to the terms and conditions.
Some people joke that ticking this box is the biggest lie on the internet! I am sure we have all told this lie many times.
The first time I was faced with this message, I made a courageous effort to read the terms and conditions, but I quickly realised it was simply impossible. The document was far too long, and I could not understand what it was saying. In the end, I had to tick the box and tell the lie.
However, once we tick that box, we have actually signed a legally binding contract.
Think about the other forms you have to sign in your life. Your employment contract. Your mobile phone contract. Consent forms, such as for medical treatments. Service agreements at places you get help.
If you have a high level of literacy, you can probably navigate these situations with some confidence. You may not be able to understand the Microsoft terms and conditions (unless you are a lawyer!), but when your doctor’s office hands you their cancellation policy, you can read it and sign your acceptance, feeling satisfied that you have understood what you are agreeing to.
However, if you are one of the 44% of Australians who have low literacy, you are likely not provided with information you can read when it comes to signing a contract. Just like me when faced with those nasty terms and conditions, you probably sign the form without reading it.
Supposedly, if you have signed something, it means you have understood and agree. There is also an implication that if you do not understand or do not agree, you should not sign and should not use the service. In practice, however, how does this work?
Imagine you are in a crisis situation. For example, experiencing family violence. You have gone to a place to get help. Are you going to risk not signing the form you are given and not getting the help you need? But hold on, there are other factors in play. You are stressed, anxious and frightened. How much is your literacy compromised anyway?
Sometimes, those of us with high literacy might ask a few questions before we sign. However, if you have low literacy, you may not have the confidence to ask these questions. You may not know what to ask. You may not know who to ask. Maybe you are dealing with an organisation that has no humans to talk to, only online chat bots!
People with low literacy and people with disability need to be enabled to give informed consent when it comes to signing a contract. It is not enough to simply assume that if someone has signed, they understand and agree to your terms.
What kind of contracts, agreements, and forms do you use at your workplace? How about at the places you volunteer, or at your leisure activities? Are there any measures in place to help people understand what they are signing?
Maybe one day we can all stop telling the ‘terms & conditions’ lie!
Sierra Morabito
Specialist content writer
Access Easy English
Office phone: 0466 579 855
Email: sierra@accesseasyenglish.com.au
Website: https://accesseasyenglish.com.au/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/accesseasyenglish
LinkedIn: Access Easy English
Twitter: @accesseasyengli
