The Guide for all homes
The Commission took note of the research conducted by the previous Referendum Commission after Lisbon I in 2008 which found that its handbook was complex and dense. However, the Commission also noted the research conducted by the Government after the 2008 campaign on the usefulness of the various publications produced during that campaign. That research found that the Referendum Commission’s handbook was seen as the most useful of the guides produced.
In 2009, the Commission decided that the publication it would deliver to all households would be considerably shorter, would contain just the main points, and would be produced and written with readability and attractive design as a priority. This publication, called The Lisbon Treaty, Your Guide contained short information on the main proposed changes as well as information on whether and how the Lisbon Treaty would affect some specific issues that research had shown to be of public concern.
Immediately after distribution, a poll conducted for the Commission showed 45 per cent said they had read all or part of it, with a further 41 per cent saying they would do so. A further Referendum Commission poll taken after the campaign ended showed 57 per cent had found this guide to be helpful. Focus group research produced largely positive feedback in relation to the handbook with people having found it to be bright, attractive and relatively easy to read.
In line with the Official Languages Act, the handbook was published in English and Irish under the same cover. It was published in Braille and audio tape for persons with a sight disability and these versions were distributed through the National Council for the Blind. In addition, the Commission produced a special sign language video of the handbook for distribution to Deaf Clubs throughout the country.
The Commission decided that distribution of the handbook should begin in the first week of September, four weeks before polling day on October 2nd. Any earlier was seen as running the danger of the guide arriving during August when voters’ minds were not focused on the issue. There was concern that if it were later, the guide could get lost in a tide of material produced by partisan campaigners.
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