Accessible Information for Neurodivergent People

What is neurodiversity?

Many of us have encountered the words ‘neurodiversity’ or ‘neurodivergent’ at some point in our lives, but many people are unsure of what they actually mean.

Neurodiversity refers to the neurological variations in people’s brains and minds - it is about people experiencing and interacting with the world in different ways. An individual whose brain functions differently from the societal norm may be described as neurodivergent. Whereas neurotypical is used to describe someone who has a brain that functions in a way that is considered the norm.

Advocates of neurodiversity emphasise accepting and welcoming neurological variations, and do not view them as:

• Disorders.

• Defects.

• Deficits.

• Illnesses to be cured.

Some neurodivergent people have a diagnosis. They may be diagnosed with one of these conditions:

• Autism.

• Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

• Dyslexia.

• Dyspraxia.

• Tourette’s Syndrome.

Some people also include certain mental health conditions under the definition of neurodivergent, although this remains a topic of ongoing discussion.

However, some neurodivergent people may not fit into a diagnosis at all, and even if they do, two people with the same diagnosis are not the same - it is a wide spectrum of variation.

Neurodiversity and accessing information

Neurodivergent people may have varying communication and information needs, meaning they need information to be presented in a certain way to be able to read, understand and use it. It is important to remember that owing to the spectrum of neurodiversity, what works well for one neurodivergent person may not work for another.

Accessible information formats for neurodivergent people can include:

• Audio versions of information.

• Video versions of information, with subtitles included.

• Interactive digital content.

• Text-to-speech tools.

• Large print versions of information.

• Easy Read or Plain English.

Easy Read and Neurodiversity

One accessible information mentioned beforehead was Easy Read. Easy Read is a way of translating difficult information and making it easier to understand, by using:

• Shorter sentences and paragraphs.

• No jargon and complex language, and when more difficult words are used, they are defined and explained within the context of the information.

• Logical reading orders and easy navigation.

• Using specific accessible colours for backgrounds, images and text.

• Using specific accessible text fonts.

• Images to support the meaning of the text.

• Underlining links that will take the reader to the relevant information in, at most, 2 clicks.

At Easy Read Online, our Easy Read work features:

• Light, pastel backgrounds for darker pictures for ease of seeing, as exampled in this blog.

• Use of the FSMe font as the letters are easy to read, in comparison to a more embellished font.

• Text that is never smaller than 14pt.

• Bolded text for more complex words with simplified definitions.

• Underlined, blue and interactive links.

• A navigational contents page that takes readers to the right page.

• Appropriate line spacing.

• Sentences that are around 15 words.

• A clear image per sentence.

Easy Read can be a useful and accessible format for neurodivergent people for many reasons, for example:

• Many neurodivergent individuals may find complex sentences, jargon, or abstract language overwhelming or difficult to understand. Easy Read uses short sentences, plain vocabulary, and avoids ambiguity, which helps people focus on key information without getting lost in language complexity.

• Easy Read is accessible to neurodivergent individuals who are visual thinkers through the use of images alongside text.

• Neurodivergent people with ADHD or sensory sensitivities can find dense text tiring or overstimulating, but Easy Read's clear layout, spacing, and use of bullet points make it less visually overwhelming.