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Easy Read is an accessible format designed to make information easier to understand for people with learning disabilities, and others who have difficulty using standard versions of information. Easy Read documents present information using a combination of simple language in short sentences, clear layout, and pictures that help to convey the meaning of the text. When information is easier to understand, people are empowered to take more control over their own lives. When people are provided with clear and accessible information, they can: Take part and feel included in the world round them. Make informed decisions. Understand their rights. Have an impact on issues that affect themselves and society as a whole. Develop their knowledge and discover new opportunities. Whilst Easy Read does not guarantee comprehension (some people will still need support to understand Easy Read information, or require a different format, like video or audio) - Easy Read does provide a valuable method for breaking down difficult information and making it more inclusive and accessible. What does the law say about Easy Read? There are laws relating to Easy Read, which indicate people’s right to accessible information and organisations' obligation to provide accessible information. The Equality Act 2010 requires organisations to make reasonable adjustments - these are small changes that enable disabled people to access services like everyone else. This includes making Easy Read versions of information avaialble to people with learning disabilities. The Accessible Information Standard requires all health and care services to provide accessible communications for service users. This includes making Easy Read versions of health and care documents available so that people with learning disabilities can access important information. Other legislation is tied into the United Nations work to make the whole world more inclusive for disabled people. Countries that are part of the United Nations, including the United Kingdom, 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. What are the guidelines for Easy Read information? Easy Read should always be produced with the end user in mind. Some Easy Read information is intended for a particular individual, or group, and should be tailored to suit their needs. Where Easy Read information is intended for a wider user group, it should include clear context regarding the source and purpose of the information. The objective of an Easy Read document is to convey key information as clearly and concisely as possible. Easy Read documents that present a literal translation of an entire piece of original information, like for like, can become very long and overbearing. There are some stylistic differences in the appearance of Easy Read information, but generally all Easy Read documents should incorporate the following: Simple language No jargon, difficult words & phrases, or idioms. If any difficult words are used, they should be explained. Acronyms should be written out in full unless they are very common (e.g. NHS). Short sentences Sentences should have a maximum of 15 words ideally. Each sentence should convey one idea. Longer sentences should be broken down using bullet points. Clear layout Pages of Easy Read should have plenty of white space so they’re not too busy. Headings and subheadings should be used to help to make the information easier to follow. Colours should have good contrast (e.g. no light coloured text on a light background; or dark on dark). Text should be written in a sans serif font, like Arial, and in a large font size (minimum 16pt). Pictures Images should capture the essence of each sentence, to help convey the meaning of the words. Photos or drawings can be used, although cartoon-like images are best avoided if the information is intended for adults. Imagery should be disability-positive and represent diversity. How can Easy Read help organisations to be more inclusive and accessible? There are various ways that organisations can adopt Easy Read to make their services more inclusive and accessible for everyone. For example: Health and care organisations can provide Easy Read information to improve people's health and wellbeing and reduce health inequalities. Regional councils and local authorities can use Easy Read information to meaningfully engage with their local communities, so that people can access services where they live. Government departments and organisations can use Easy Read materials to increase opportunities for everyone, in all parts of the country. Public services can use Easy Read as a way to communicate more effectively with their service users, so that they can speak up and help to make services better for everyone. International bodies can utilise Easy Read in their work to ensure no one is left behind. Charities, voluntary and support groups can use Easy Read to raise awareness of the important work they’re doing. Arts and culture organisations can produce Easy Read information to connect marginalised groups with creative opportunities and enrich more people’s lives. Who produces Easy Read information and how is it provided? Anyone can produce Easy Read information - individuals, small or large organisations, and specialist providers - like Easy Read Online. There is various training and guidance available to get started. But it’s important to get Easy Read right, so that it serves the people who are using it. That takes time and practice, and ideally the people creating the Easy Read will have experience of working with people with learning disabilities. It is always worth considering a specialist Easy Read provider, because they will have the right expertise and experience, plus access to practical resources like Easy Read images and design software. Either way, Easy Read should be produced with the end user in mind and people with learning disabilities should be involved in the process where possible. Easy Read information should be provided with the option to print out a physical copy, or to view a copy online that is compliant with accessibility regulations and compatible with screen-reader software.

Welcome to our July newsletter. We hope you’ve been enjoying the sun! Remember, Easy Read Online can help if you need: Easy Read translations. Plain English translations. Original documents to be made compliant with web accessibility standards. Easy Read documents that you’d like to be checked by people with lived experience. Other accessibility features or formats. Get in touch today using our quote form: Feedback from clients We always welcome feedback from clients on our service. Here are some comments we’ve received in the last month: Disability Pride July has been Disability Pride Month. Disability Pride Month is an important moment for disabled people to come together as a community. An opportunity to share experiences and start conversations. It’s a celebration of the creativity, resilience, and achievements of disabled people. As part of Disability Pride Month, one of our team, Becky, has written a blog about how organisations can become more accessible. You can read it here: https://www.easy-read-online.co.uk/post/how-to-make-your-organisation-accessible We also created a list of questions for organisations to ask internally, and help them to assess their practices: Best wishes, The Easy Read Online team

While many organisations use Disability Pride Month to focus on raising awareness, it’s also important to reflect on how to make your organisation more accessible. Accessibility is about giving equal opportunities to people with a disability or health condition. When workplaces and services are accessible, it’s easier for people with a health condition or disability to take part in society and live good lives. Keep reading to find out how you can prioritise accessibility in your organisation. 1. Adopt accessible hiring practices When it comes to accessibility in the workplace, it’s best to focus on it from the start. Accessible hiring practices can help level the playing field for people with health conditions and disabilities, as well as people who need to juggle things like childcare. You could make the hiring process more accessible by: Giving clear instructions about how to apply and providing information in accessible formats like Large Print or Easy Read. Sharing what the recruitment process will look like. For example, how many rounds of interviews there will be and when they will take place. Offering a range of interview dates and times for people to choose from. Using the job description to outline what kind of reasonable adjustments your organisation could make to help people apply or attend interviews. Offering support with filling out the application for people who need it. Many people - disabled or otherwise - will be looking for an employer that cares about their needs. So making your hiring practices more accessible isn’t just the right thing to do: it can also make it easier to attract the best people for the job! 2. Make reasonable adjustments Reasonable adjustments are changes that your organisation can make to help disabled people take part like everyone else. Many people can benefit from reasonable adjustments, including employees, clients, service users and anyone else you interact with. Examples of reasonable adjustments could be: Flexible working arrangements. For example, allowing employees to work from home or adjust their working times to accommodate their needs. Holding in-person meetings and events in accessible venues. This could include making sure there is nearby parking and ramps for wheelchairs. Providing noise-cancelling headphones or quiet spaces where people can do their work away from the hubbub of the office. (As a person with ADHD, this can be game-changing!) Paying for assistive technology like speech-to-text apps or mobility aids. You can find out more about reasonable adjustments on the government website . 3. Share accessible information Sharing information isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach. It’s important to provide information in different accessible formats, especially if your organisation employs or works with disabled people. Accessible formats can include: Braille. Easy Read. Audio. Large print. Web-accessible documents that are compatible with speech-to-text software. For some more tips on the best way to share accessible formats, check out our recent blog post  about making your information more accessible. 4. Educate yourself and others Leaders should take the time to learn about different disabilities and the kinds of reasonable adjustments people might need. Doing your research makes it easier to build accessibility and inclusivity into your organisation. It’s not just decision-makers who should learn about accessibility. Sharing information with staff members and volunteers can mean they feel more confident about making reasonable adjustments for the people they work with and support. There are countless training courses, articles, books, podcasts and videos that can help you educate yourself and others about disabilities and accessibility. Disability charities like Mencap , Mind  and Scope  have lots of information co-created by people with disabilities and health conditions, making them a great place to start. 5. Work with people with disabilities Who knows more about accessibility than the people who need it the most? Working with disabled people is key to making your organisation more accessible. You can work with disabled people in lots of ways, like by: Listening to individuals and taking their lead when it comes to what reasonable adjustments they might need. Making sure that disabled employees have the opportunity to help shape policies that affect them. Creating surveys to find out what your disabled service users think about a new service you want to provide. At Easy Read Online, we work closely with independent groups of people with learning disabilities, like our local Mencap group. Their members routinely check our Easy Read documents, and their feedback helps us with the quality of all our work. But remember - you should always be conscious of how much you’re asking of people. For example, if a disabled employee agrees to help produce a policy, make sure that their involvement doesn’t result in an unmanageable workload! We create all kinds of accessible resources, from surveys and consultations to safeguarding policies and job application forms! Click here to Get a quote for your Easy Read document today to find out how we can help make your organisation more accessible.

In this blog post, we will focus on the link between disability pride and accessible information. Every July, Disability Pride Month celebrates the history and achievements of disabled people, while also challenging the different types of ableism that disabled people face. Like most pride movements, an important part of Disability Pride Month is empowerment - because being proud, confident and heard is very difficult if you are not empowered. A key aspect of empowerment is equal access, which means making sure disabled people can access all the same things as non-disabled people can, including information. What is empowerment? Empowerment is about having the freedom and power to control what happens to you and make decisions for yourself. It is about being able to live the life you want to live and have your rights respected wherever you go. Accessible information like Easy Read resources can help disabled people feel empowered. When a disabled person is empowered, they are: Heard, respected and believed by the people, organisations and services around them. Able to make their own decisions, or make their decisions with the help of someone they choose. Able to access the services they need without shame. Able to live the life they want and need. Confident and proud of who they are. When a disabled person is not empowered, it can look like: The person being spoken about, instead of spoken to. Decisions being made for them without being included in the decision-making process. Being excluded from opportunities because of inaccessible physical spaces, online spaces and information. Being denied the tools or support they need to be able to live their life. If a disabled person is not empowered, this can lead to many negatives, such as internalised ableism, loneliness and a lower quality of life. Empowerment and accessible information Accessible information is not just a tool for communication; it is also a way of empowering disabled people. When disabled people are able to access information and tools, they can achieve things that will make them feel empowered. For example: A disabled person could use an Easy Read information booklet about common illnesses to decide whether they would like to get a flu vaccination. A disabled person could fill in an Easy Read version of a council survey to have a say in what happens to their local park. A disabled person could use a large print version of a job application form to have the same chance at getting a job as a non-disabled person. As an organisation, you can help to empower disabled people by committing to accessibility and providing your information in accessible formats. This is a great way of communicating to your disabled service users, customers and employees: your presence matters, your voice matters . To learn more about providing accessible versions of your information, you can take a look at our website: https://www.easy-read-online.co.uk/ Or if you want to read more about the disability and accessibility sector, you can read some of our other blog posts: https://www.easy-read-online.co.uk/blog

Halfway Through 2025 - See What’s New at Easy Read Online! We're officially halfway through 2025! June has been a rewarding and busy month at Easy Read Online, with several exciting projects on the go. One highlight is our brand-new guide on sharing Easy Read documents, which we’re now giving to our clients. Keep reading this newsletter for a sneak peek of what's inside the guide! Celebrating Learning Disability Week The month of June hosts the fantastic Learning Disability Week, which this year took place from 16th June to 22nd June. The theme for this year’s Learning Disability Week was ‘Do You See Me’, which aimed to highlight the importance of seeing, hearing, including, and valuing disabled people in all areas of life. In support of Learning Disability Week, we centred our online presence around the theme of ‘visibility’. We wrote two blog posts that discuss the importance of visibility in the lives of disabled people. You can check out the blog posts here: Learning Disability Week 2025: Why visibility matters Do you see me? Understanding non-visible disabilities We also shifted some focus onto how organisations can support the visibility of disabled people using accessible information, and in particular, Easy Read. For help with making your information more inclusive, take a look at our guide to commissioning and sharing Easy Read versions of your organisation's information One of our team members also took part in a Learning Disability Week event hosted by Mencap Liverpool & Sefton. The event celebrated Mencap’s history and presented some of the projects the Liverpool & Sefton branch is currently working on. Here is what our team member Karen had to say about the experience: “It was lovely to see some of the members again, and to learn more about the history of the cottage, and to see some of the different projects they've been involved in, like the travel training and work they've been doing at Liverpool John Moores University, where they wrote a sea shanty.” A success story in Manchester Manchester University Hospital NHS Trust asked us to create an Easy Read version of a patient letter being sent to those on the waiting list for a hospital operation or procedure. The original letter followed delays caused by COVID and asked patients to confirm whether they wished to remain on the waiting list or be removed, for instance, if they no longer needed the procedure. The Trust was so impressed with how clearly our Easy Read version communicated the message more effectively than the original letter that they chose to use it as the main version for all  patients, not just those with a learning disability. The result was a record number of patient responses, with many specifically commenting on how easy the letter was to understand. This shows the powerful impact of clear, accessible communication, both in increasing engagement and in making sure that patients who rely on Easy Read information feel recognised and included. Your organisation’s sharing checklist In June, we introduced a new resource: a quick guide titled ‘How to Make the Most of Your Easy Read Document’. We now share this with clients once their final Easy Read document is complete. This initiative came about after multiple clients approached us for advice about how to increase engagement with their Easy Read versions of information. While our full guide to commissioning and sharing Easy Read versions of your organisation's information  offers a deeper dive, we’ve also created a practical checklist outlining where and how you can share your Easy Read content: Make your Easy Read versions of information easy to find, as easy as              the main version of your information! Make sure people are aware that you provide Easy Read versions of your information. Announce your Easy Read information on your organisation’s social media. Reach out to local self-advocacy groups and disability groups to promote your Easy Read information. Train your team so that all staff members feel confident sharing Easy Read versions of information when asked.

When you think of a person with a disability, the most common stereotype is to think of someone with a visible disability. However, it has been estimated that 80% of all people worldwide who live with disabilities are living with a non-visible disability, which is equal to over a billion people globally.  You might have heard of the terms ‘hidden disability’ or ‘invisible disability’ before, however, the term ‘non-visible disability’ is now widely accepted. This is because the word ‘hidden’ suggests somebody is hiding their disability from others, and the word ‘invisible’ gives a feeling that the person with the disability is themself ‘invisible’.  What is a non-visible disability?   According to the UK government website: “A non-visible disability is a disability or health condition that is not immediately obvious.” That is to say, a non-visible disability is not something that someone is hiding purposefully; it is just not always immediately visible to others. However, people who know of or share the same non-visible disability can often see their disability in others who also share it.  Which types of disabilities are non-visible? Non-visible disabilities cover a wide range of disabilities, including, but not limited to:  mental health conditions  learning disabilities sensory, processing difficulties cognitive impairment or learning difficulties autism and Asperger’s syndrome visual impairments or restricted vision hearing loss non-visible health conditions As you can see, the list of non-visible disabilities contains a variety of disabilities, which means that people’s experiences are very different, and they will all require different types and levels of support. Some people will overlap with multiple non-visible as well as visible disabilities and require different support at different stages of their lives. As well as this, some of the support will overlap, and the same support can be useful to people with different non-visible disabilities.  Learning difficulties and learning disabilities, aren’t they the same thing?  It is important here to explain the difference between a learning difficulty  and a learning disability.  A learning difficulty may be described as having specific problems processing certain forms of information.  Learning disabilities  are specific disorders that impact an individual's ability to acquire, process, or use information effectively. You can read more about this in our previous blog, “ What is the difference between learning disabilities and learning difficulties ?” Why does it matter if someone’s disability is visible or not? The overwhelming benefit to having a non-visible disability versus a visible disability is that individuals have the choice whether to keep their disability private or not. This has some advantages, such as being treated equally to non-disabled people. The disadvantage to this is when a person with a non-visible disability requires support.  It may be more obvious to offer support to a person with a visible disability. However, for people with, or carers of people with, non-visible disabilities to receive support, they are more likely to have to:  use their own initiative  seek out information   understand what support is available to them   advocate for themselves This can often be met with  judgement, misunderstanding, discrimination and exclusion, which can feel unfair, confusing and exhausting.  What can we do to better support people with non-visible disabilities? Non-visible disabilities are often overlooked in discussions about accessibility and inclusion. Acknowledging and spreading awareness of non-visible disabilities and the support that people may require is one way to improve this situation.   Awareness campaigns, such as last week’s Learning Disability Week, help to spread awareness. The Learning Disability Week theme was all about people with a learning disability being “seen, valued and heard”, which is highly relevant to the lives of people with non-visible disabilities. Making all information accessible is also a simple way to ensure equality and support for all people, whatever their disability.  Links: Hidden Disabilities Website: https://hdsunflower.com/uk/insights/post/what-is-a-hidden-disability Easy-Read-Online Blog post, What is the difference between learning disabilities and learning difficulties?: https://blog.easy-read-online.co.uk/what-is-the-difference-between-learning-disabilities-and-learning-difficulties   Department of Health and Social Care, ‘Valuing People - A New Strategy for Learning Disability for the 21st Century’ https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a7b854740f0b62826a041b9/5086.pdf   Foundation for people with learning difficulties https://www.learningdisabilities.org.uk/learning-disabilities/a-to-z/l/learning-difficulties

Learning Disability Week 2025 is just around the corner, giving us a great opportunity to talk about why people with a learning disability need visibility. Starting on Monday 16 June, this year’s theme, “Do you see me?”, is all about people with a learning disability being seen, valued and heard. From challenging barriers to celebrating achievements, this Learning Disability Week aims to shine a light on the lives and experiences of people with a learning disability. In this post, we dive into why visibility is so important for people with a learning disability - and how you can get involved. 1) Change minds Many people make unfair assumptions about what people with a learning disability can and cannot do. This can make it harder for people with a learning disability to be seen as individuals and take part in activities in their local community. We can challenge these assumptions by helping more people understand what it is really like to live with a learning disability. This also includes explaining things like the difference between learning disabilities and learning difficulties . Awareness campaigns like Learning Disability Week can help people with a learning disability feel more included in their communities. If people are seen, heard and valued by everyone around them, this can help them feel safer and supported to live happy and healthy lives. 2) Break down barriers Learning Disability Week 2025 is also about highlighting the problems that people with a learning disability face in different parts of their lives. According to Mencap’s 2024 Manifesto, 86% of adults with a learning disability want a paid job, but only 26.7% have one. Patients with a learning disability have also told Healthwatch England  that they struggle to find accessible information about healthcare. But when people with a learning disability share their experiences, it’s harder to ignore the barriers they face. This visibility can encourage organisations to provide better opportunities and make services more accessible for everyone. 3) Celebrate achievements People with a learning disability bring a lot to society, and it’s important to celebrate that! They can be role models for others and challenge assumptions by simply being seen as they are: confident, capable, and in charge of their own lives. Just take a look at MenCap’s Myth Busters  - 18 people on a mission to show everyone what it’s really like to live with a learning disability. Made up of campaigners, artists, athletes and more, the Myth Busters show that when people with a learning disability are given the right support, they can achieve great things. Sharing these achievements can help open up more opportunities for people with a learning disability in the future. 4) Empower people Decisions about people with a learning disability have often been made for them instead of with them. But by giving people a platform to speak up about their personal experiences, they can gain more control over their lives and the issues that affect them. For example, when councils provide Easy Read versions of their public consultations, this can make it easier for people with a learning disability to have their voices heard. As a result, councils can make better, more inclusive policies throughout the year, not just during Learning Disability Week! Get involved with Learning Disability Week 2025 Remember, Learning Disability Week 2025 runs from Monday 16 June to Sunday 22 June. There are lots of ways to take part in Learning Disability Week. For example, you could: Follow and share stories from people with a learning disability. Use the hashtags #learningdisabilityweek or #LDWeek2025 in your social media posts. Start a conversation about visibility with your friends or colleagues. It’s also important to keep championing learning disability visibility throughout the year. By providing Easy Read materials, organisations can help more people with a learning disability take part in events and make decisions that affect them. Check out our Easy Read services  to find out how we can help you during Learning Disability Week and beyond.

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.

What is digital accessibility? Digital accessibility is all about making sure online content is accessible to people with different needs. Our digital landscape evolves at a rapid pace, with the emergence of new technologies every day - and with this growth, the accessibility of all things digital is a pressing concern. Without proper attention, organisations run the risk of creating a space that can actively alienate people with learning disabilities, but this time online. Digital accessibility is about: Breaking down barriers. Ensuring people of all abilities can harness the power of the internet. Empowering people of all abilities to access the online information and services that are relevant to them. How organisations can be digitally accessible If organisations are aiming to improve the accessibility of their online content, a great start is looking at and understanding the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). Developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), these guidelines offer a framework for creating accessible online content. Organisations can ensure their online content is accessible by adhering to these guidelines. But digital accessibility is more than just rule compliance. It is about understanding the daily challenges faced by people with disabilities and considering their needs from the outset. Organisations may find it useful to include people with disabilities when they are designing and planning online content, using user tester groups to check that their online content is accessible. How is Easy Read Online digitally accessible? We must practice what we preach! This is how we at Easy Read Online strive to be digitally accessible: Giving our clients the option of a WCAG 2.2 compliant version of their commissioned Easy Read document. Offering interactive versions of forms and surveys that can be filled in online. Championing accessible online content by incorporating descriptive links, form accessibility, reduced mouse interaction, responsive design and clear fonts into our website. Including alt text on any images that are used on our website and accompany our social media posts. Regularly reviewing, maintaining and improving the accessibility of our online content. To find out more about digital accessibility, you can read about and take part in Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD): https://accessibility.day/

Welcome to the April 2025 edition of the Easy Read Online newsletter! We hope you’ve been enjoying the sunshine as much as we have. This month, we’ve been proud to translate some powerful and important documents, resources that we believe can help to raise awareness and support the rights of disabled people. Working with Amnesty International We were proud to work with Amnesty International - the world’s largest grassroots human rights organisation - on translating their ‘Social Insecurity Report’ into Easy Read. This report is a deep dive into how the UK government is currently managing social security and how it interprets human rights laws set out by the United Nations. Social security is vital for many disabled people, helping cover the basic costs of living. When social security is insecure or inadequate, it hits disabled people the hardest. In their report, Amnesty International offers strong recommendations for improving the social security system, most importantly, by recognising social security as a human right. Translating this report into Easy Read can lead to more people understanding and engaging with the policies and decisions that directly affect them, instead of being spoken about by others. The report is based on responses to a national survey, and one of our technical writers did an excellent job turning those voices into clear, emotional, and accessible writing. You can read the Easy Read version of the report here: Social Insecurity Report Easy Read Working with Activity Alliance Similarly, in October 2024, our long-time client Activity Alliance ran a survey asking young disabled people about their experiences with local sports and physical activity. The findings are now published in a report titled ‘A Game of Inequality: The Reality of Sporting Dreams for Young Disabled People’, which they then commissioned us to translate into Easy Read. We’re always proud to support projects that amplify the voices of young disabled people, and it’s fantastic to see Activity Alliance continuing to prioritise accessibility by sharing Easy Read versions of their work. It’s a clear reflection of their commitment to inclusion. One of our technical writers expertly translated complex statistics from survey findings into clear, easy-to-understand statements, maintaining accuracy while making the content more accessible for a wider audience. If you want to find out more about Easy Read, and what makes the language we use ‘easy to read’, you can check out our website: Easy Read Online - Homepage A new language translation Did you know we also help our clients translate Easy Read documents into different languages? Our process starts with creating the Easy Read version in English. From there, we translate the Easy Read text into the requested language, then format it to match the original Easy Read layout before delivering the final version to the client. This approach has proven successful time and again, and we’ve helped translate Easy Read documents into a wide range of languages, including Polish, Farsi, Punjabi, and many more. This April, we were excited to support a translation in a new language! In 2024, the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities, Heba Hagrass, visited Kyrgyzstan to assess the country's progress in putting the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities into action, since it was agreed to in 2019. After her visit, a detailed report was produced, which we translated into Easy Read and then into Russian. Our commitment to improvement If you are familiar with our newsletter or our ethos at Easy Read Online, you will know that continuous improvement is at the heart of everything we do. We are always evolving our Easy Read work to better meet the needs of our end users and to give our clients confidence that the accessible information they share is truly fit for purpose. Our latest step forward came this April: we launched a brand new user feedback survey specifically for Easy Read end users. A link to the survey now appears at the beginning of our Easy Read documents, giving readers the opportunity to tell us what they think of our Easy Read. We are excited about the potential of this new feature - it allows us to hear from people we haven’t yet had the chance to co-produce with, and we hope it will lead to even more meaningful improvements in the future. Best wishes from the Easy Read Online team.

Welcome to our spring newsletter. We hope you’re enjoying the sunnier days and lighter evenings as much as us! Remember, Easy Read Online can help if you need: Easy Read translations. Plain English translations. Original documents to be made compliant with web accessibility standards. Easy Read documents that you’d like to be checked by people with lived experience. Other accessibility features or formats. Here are some of the things we’ve been up to recently. Easy Read Online quarterly training day Our team met up in Liverpool last Friday to take part in our quarterly training day. This was a chance for the team to catch up and share knowledge about the recent improvements we have made to our working practices. This included some training for the whole team on creating Plain Language documents. Plain Language is putting technical text in ‘layman's terms’ which should be able to be read and understood by everybody. We have recently started to offer this service to clients alongside Easy Read. Click here to get a quote for Plain English translation. We hold our training days on Fridays, when we are usually not working due to our 4 day week. This means there is no impact on turnaround times for clients. Contributing to the Disability Business Forum We spoke to around 75 participants at the recent Business Disability Forum about Easy Read. We shared more information about what Easy Read is, who it’s for and the process of translating complex information into Easy Read. The Business Disability Forum is a membership organisation which works with businesses to remove barriers to inclusion for disabled people. New illustrations! Our trademark illustrations make Easy Read Online documents stand out. The illustrations are based on real-world images, so are more relatable and useful to the end user. We work with people with learning disabilities to check the illustrations and have had really positive feedback. All of our images are created by our brilliant in-house illustrator Danni! Recently she’s been working on some new illustrations for specific documents, such as an illustration of a blood transfusion and chest pain. Spotlight project - Easy Read policies for the NHS We recently created some Easy Read translations for an NHS Integrated Care Board (ICB).  The documents were policies for paying people with learning disabilities for their work to co-produce services. The policies outline how the ICB recognises people with lived experience and how much they should be paid. This is a great example of why Easy Read is so vital. Providing these policies in Easy Read will enable the co-producers to understand their rights and be able to advocate for themselves. That’s all from us for this month. We hope you have a great month ahead and enjoy all of the upcoming Easter bank holidays! Best wishes from the Easy Read Online team.

Happy Halloween from the Easy Read Online team! Here’s a roundup of all the work we’ve done in the last month… Awareness in October October saw many impactful awareness events and global campaigns, all united in their mission to speak up on important issues. Notable for Easy Read Online was #WorldMentalHealthDay, which we actively express our solidarity with. We believe equal access to information plays a pivotal role in connecting people with disabilities with the vital support needed to improve their mental health. Our Easy Read translation of many documents related to mental health services enables people with learning disabilities to find and understand the help they need. Spotlight Projects UN Disability Inclusion Strategy Report In 2019, the United Nations shared its Disability Inclusion Strategy - a policy and accountability framework that details how the UN will include people with disabilities in its workforce and all pillars of its work. In October, we were delighted to translate the annual strategy report into Easy Read for the 4th time. The Easy Read report is an effective way of accessibly sharing progress, holding true to the values of the strategy. You can check out the report here: Ofsted Report In October we also produced an important Easy Read report for Ofsted which outlines the key results from their consultation with children in social care. The report highlights a significant improvement in the safety of children and young people in their social care environment, including those with extra educational needs. You can read the report here: The I Need Easy Read Campaign The "I Need Easy Read Campaign" group recently had a productive meeting with our co-producers at Mencap, who gave us feedback on our campaign website - which we promptly actioned! As a result, our website has undergone some accessibility changes and is now even available in the Welsh language. You can explore these updates on our campaign website: Following a positive reception from the public when sharing our "I Need Easy Read" leaflets, our campaign's next steps include widening our outreach and exploring new ways of raising campaign awareness, such as working with local radio stations. Easy Read Development We enthusiastically welcomed Karen White as an Easy Read technical writer to our team this month. Karen has fast become an invaluable member of the group, bringing fresh ideas and new outlooks which are already filtering into our work processes and improving them. On Wednesday 8th November we will be closed for a team training day. We will be looking at potential improvements to our Easy Read work, such as reviewing and critiquing our document design. We will also assess our internal work systems, which will involve an ‘Overcoming Obstacles’ workshop and an evaluation of our company values. Thank you That’s all from us for this month. We wish you a good November! If you would like us to produce Easy Read for your organisation you can request a quote for information here: