Easy Read 2

[Shanel Arrendell]

Easyread materials are often a lot longer than non-easy read materials because of how they are formatted. For this reason, if you are converting a report into an easy read format it can be beneficial to shorten the text into an executive summary, keeping just the key elements that people need to know. This helps to avoid producing an unmanageably large document.

Easy read materials are becoming more commonplace, and their value in providing information to people with learning disabilities is widely accepted. However, some people may still need support in understanding easy read information; it should not be assumed that something in an easy read format will be understood.

Images for easy read materials can come from a variety of sources. Image banks are available, where images are made available for a subscription fee. Alternatively, you can commission an artist or designer to produce bespoke images, or you can make use of an organisation that provides this service.

When producing easy read materials it is advisable to ask people who have learning disabilities to support you during the process. This ensures that the resulting publication will be as successful as possible in being understood by the target audience. It takes some skill to create effective easy read text, so it is vital that the materials be tested before they are considered finished.

Easy Read documents usually combine short, jargon-free sentences with simple, clear images to help explain the content. It is increasingly used to help the 1.5 million people who have a learning disability in the UK.

However, Easy Read can also be useful for people who speak English as a second language; people who find it hard to read and write; people who have memory problems; or people who are in a hurry or are stressed.

The right to accessible information is established in law with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) and the Equality Act 2010, protecting disabled people from discrimination.

If information is not available in an easy-to-understand format, some people may struggle to make key decisions about important areas of their life. For example, in their work or when managing their health or leisure time.

Unnecessarily complicated application forms, inaccessible and jargon-filled job descriptions, and overly detailed information can all present barriers to people who struggle to read. With only 17% of adults with a learning disability in England in paid work, removing unnecessary barriers caused by inaccessible information is clearly an important societal issue.

People with learning disabilities in the UK can face significant and avoidable health inequalities. The Accessible Information Standard (2015) requires all NHS and Adult Social Care services to provide information in an accessible format, such as Braille, Easy Read, Large Print or Audio. Although this legislation has significantly improved the availability of accessible health information, many patients still do not receive information in a format they can understand.

People with learning disabilities take part in fewer social activities, have fewer social networks, do less exercise, and are less engaged with the arts sector than people without learning disabilities. Although there are many barriers to these leisure activities, accessible information is a key issue. Producing accessible information about leisure venues, clubs and transport make it easier for people with learning disabilities to take part.

At present there is no legal standard for Easy Read producers or translators. However, many Easy Read users, translators, and academics agree that the following points are important considerations when thinking about producing accessible information.

Always plan your accessible translations at the beginning of any project. Do not leave them as an afterthought. Accessible versions often take some time to prepare, and it is not uncommon for people who need accessible formats to wait a significant length of time.

Is your document actually important? It might seem like a surprising question, but reading can be extremely challenging for some individuals. Is your document important enough to use up the little time someone may have with a support worker, for example?

Read your document and decide on the important messages and facts. What core information do you want your reader to know? Leave out anything that does not add to the main message of the text or is not needed.

Set aside some time to think about how you will structure your Easy Read document before you attempt to write or translate anything. Otherwise, you might be tempted to do a line-by-line literal translation. This is not needed and will likely result in a long, unnecessarily complicated document that is not very easy to understand.

The primary aim of the Easy Read process is to make information easier to read. It is therefore not essential to stick to grammar rules if it will make the text more difficult for some people to understand.

Think carefully about your font. Use a large font size, ideally 16 or bigger and choose a Sans Serif (plainer) font, for example, Arial, Century Gothic or Calibri. Remember to apply this to page numbers too.

Colours: use dark text on a light background. Choose the page colour carefully. Some people find a plain, pastel-coloured background makes the text easier to read. For example, light yellow or light pink. If you can, find out from your reader what they prefer.

The pictures in Easy Read documents can help with understanding the text (particularly for people who cannot read at all), memory and concentration, and can help a discussion if the document is being used with someone else, such as a support worker.

Put images on the left and text on the right. This is generally the preferred format. However, if someone asks for a different layout, make sure it is obvious which section of text goes with each image.

Where possible, ask people you know will use your documents to check them for you. Alternatively, you can employ a professional checking group. (If you use a checking group, ask if people with learning disabilities are paid a fair and living wage for their work.)

Call: 0300 180 0028

Please note: calls to our helpline number cost no more than a national rate call to an 01 or 02 number and count towards any inclusive minutes in the same way as 01 and 02 calls, and AbilityNet does not receive any money from these calls.

My Computer My Way is an AbilityNet run website packed with articles explaining how to use the accessibility features built into your computer, tablet or smartphone. The site is routinely updated as new features and changes are made to the Windows, MacOS, iOS, Chrome OS and Android operating systems. The site is broken down into the following sections:

Our Mission - Every child reading and spelling with confidence. Check our online reviews and independent research. What's different - Easyread uses a new approach called trainertext visual phonic cues which helps the child progress in just 15 minutes per day. We guarantee you will see good progress. What to expect - You will see a new enthusiasm in the first few days, much improved confidence in 2-3 weeks and a leap of reading accuracy in 60-90 sessions. Sometimes it is much quicker. Spelling improvement then naturally follows on from that, without endless spelling lists! Early Years Parents

This guide will help you write in Easy Read, an accessible format that uses pictures and easy-to-understand language. Creating resources in Easy Read helps make sure that all people with disabilities have the tools we need to understand and speak out about policy that affects our lives.

Easy read advocates sentences of no more than ten to fifteen words, with each sentence having just one idea and one verb. Active sentences are used instead of passive sentences. Easy read is closely edited to express ideas in a small number of simple words. Any difficult word or idea is explained in a separate sentence.[1]

The plain English statement: "Thank you for your letter asking for permission to put up a poster in the library; before we can give you an answer, we will need to see a copy of the poster to assure that it won't offend anyone." could be rewritten in easy read as follows:"Thank you for your letter about your poster; we need to see the poster to check that it won't upset people, then we can decide if you can put it up."

In Australia, in response to research conducted with the community and public sector staff, the South Australian government promotes the broad benefits of easy read in their Online Accessibility Toolkit.[4]

At first I was sceptical about the amount of use the pictures were when added to every sentence. Anyone who has written an easy read will know how frustrating it can be to get the just the right picture to help to illustrate the text.

Some documents such as our recently published Local Strategy Development Guidance are specifically for a professional audience, so instead of creating an easy read version we created a supplementary easy read, to explain what the document is about.

Click 'Accept all cookies' to agree to all cookies that collect anonymous data. To only allow the cookies that make the site work, click 'Use essential cookies only.' Visit 'Set cookie preferences' to control specific cookies.

Additional material in Easy Read has been published to aid engagement and discussion on the National Care Service. This material is supplementary to the Easy Read version of the consultation and is focused on explaining key concepts regarding the National Care Service. It has been developed in conjunction with disability stakeholders to address issues that they have raised. This Easy Read material is designed to help facilitate discussion and engagement beyond the formal consultation period that ends on 2 November as the Scottish Government will continue to engage with stakeholders to co-design the National Care Service as policy proposals are developed.

3a8082e126