Background - The easy read format

The easy read format is an evolving one. It was created to help some disabled people, particularly those with learning disabilities, understand information easily.

It is important that people with learning disabilities have access to all sorts of information, not just disability-specific information such as benefits but also about their health, voting, work and gaining skills.

Easy read is often preferred by readers without learning disabilities, as it gives you the essential information on a topic without the waffle. It uses pictures to help understanding. It is different to plain English, because it was designed specifically for people with learning disabilities.

Plain English should be used to communicate with general audiences. Easy read is an important alternative for people with learning disabilities. All authors of government materials should write in plain English and should understand the principles of easy read. However, producing easy read needs particular training.

Here are two examples, one in plain English and one in easyread.

Plain English

Thank you for your letter asking for permission to put up posters in the library. Before we can give you an answer we will need to see a copy of the posters to make sure they won't offend anyone.

Easy read

Thank you for your letter about your poster. We need to see the poster before we put it up. This is because it must not offend anyone.

Offend means upset people.

Helpful alternative words

avoid	use
along the lines of	like
as to	about
at an early date	soon
is in a position to	can
during such time that	while
first of all	first
in relation to	about, for or with
in the amount of	for
until such time as	until
additional	extra or more
advise	tell
assistance	help
at this moment in time	now
commence	start
consequently	so
forward	send
in respect of	for
obtain	get
residence	house
utilise	use

Easy read pictures

• There are image banks of line drawing pictures showing common words.
• You can also use photographs.
• It is important to choose pictures carefully to support the text.
• The picture can go above or below the words.
• The photographs or pictures need to be easy to understand.
• They should each show one idea.
• Jokes and humour can be good.

Tapes and CD-ROMs

• A tape or CD-ROM to go with written information helps.
• It should speak the words of the publication slowly.
• It should say when you need to turn the page so people can follow with the text.
• It is good to have music to give time to turn the page.

Events

• There should always be easy read information at events for disabled people.
• This should be on paper and also on audiotape or CD-ROM.
• Booking forms should be in easy read.

There is more on events elsewhere in this guidance.

Websites

• To be accessible to people with learning disabilities, websites should have pages with essential information, such as a short description of an organisation, a summary of what it does and contact details, in easyread.
• This could include how to get human help with questions.
• People should be able to listen to someone reading the text on the web pages.
• There should be pictures to show what the words mean.
• It should be easy to find pages.

There is more on making websites accessible elsewhere in this guidance.

For practical tips, visit the top tips section of this guidance.

For other information resources, go to the resources section of this guidance.

Page last reviewed: 11 August 2008