Easy Read: A Brief History

Lewis
6 days ago
3 min read

Easy Read is becoming an increasingly popular accessible format, not only for people with learning disabilities but a much wider audience, such as the 1 in 6 people in the UK with low literacy, older people with cognitive conditions, and people with English as a second language.

More organisations than ever before are understanding the importance of producing Easy Read information and the potential value and engagement it brings.

For those who have access to good quality Easy Read information, it is clear that it enables them to have more freedom of choice, discover new opportunities and make the most of their lives.

But where did it all start?

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, a group of people with learning disabilities in the United Kingdom collaborated to make it easier for them to read and understand important information. The group recognised that many documents and pieces of information were written in a way that was difficult for them to understand and hard to access. They wanted to change that. Their efforts resulted in the creation of Easy Read information.

In the 2000s, as part of the drive to support disabled people to be more independent, Easy Read was recognised as a way to make information more accessible to enable people to do more for themselves.

An illustration of a group of diverse people sat around a table. There are documents and Easy Read documents on the table.

Equality Act

The Equality Act of 2010 introduced the legal duty for all organisations to provide information in an accessible way. The Act refers to reasonable adjustments, which are changes that organisations should make to enable disabled people to take part like everyone else. Easy Read constitutes a reasonable adjustment as it makes information accessible so that people with learning disabilities can understand the things they need to know, or want to find out about.

Accessible Information Standard

Following the Equality Act 2010, the Accessible Information Standard was introduced. The Standard requires all health and care services to provide accessible communications for service users. This includes providing Easy Read versions of health and care documents so that people with learning disabilities can access important information. The use of Easy Read information in health and care services can help to reduce health inequalities.

A photograph of a doctor in a gp room holding up an iPad with the front cover of any Easy Read document on it. The title of the document is 'Changes to fit notes'

International Easy Read

The United Nations works to make the whole world more inclusive for disabled people. They have made a promise to reduce the barriers that stop disabled people from taking part. This commitment includes making information more accessible for disabled people, like providing Easy Read documents for people with learning disabilities.

Easy Read is used in other countries outside the UK. In some countries, it is called Easy-to-read. Some countries have variations on Easy Read, like Easy English - this uses more simplified text, in sentences of up to 5 or 6 words. In Germany, they have a format called ‘Leichte Sprache’, which translates to easy language. It’s generally text-only (without pictures) and doesn’t go as far as Easy Read to break down information, but it provides a more accessible alternative for people with low literacy.

Illustration of a group of diverse people from different countries with a picture of the world behind them on the right.

Where next for Easy Read in the UK?

There are some exciting milestones for Easy Read in the near future.

We have been working with numerous other Easy Read providers to draft the first Easy Read Standards in the UK. These are due to be launched in 2026, so watch this space!

The impact of Easy Read in the future will further reduce inequalities so that no one is left behind.