Storytelling Month; Easy Read
‘Easy Read’ is a style of writing and formatting documents which makes information easier to understand for people with a learning disability or learning difficulties.
The idea of easy read originated in Sweden in the 1980’s, and according to the BBC, the first major Easy Read document published in the UK was a Government paper called ‘Valuing People: A New Strategy for Learning Disability for the 21st Century’ in 2001. The organisation Mencap helped develop the easy read format, which is used by organisations across the UK.
In the UK we have an ‘Accessible Information Standard’ which requires service providers to make sure information and documents are presented in the most appropriate and accessible formats. This means we at Creative Support may need to produce Easy Read documents for some of the people we support.
Easy Read documents play an important role in promoting the independence of people who need them. Easy Read does however assume levels of reading ability, so it Is important to be aware that other methods of communication such as audio, video, or face-to-face support could and should be offered too.
Creating an Easy Read document can take time to perfect. A great tip is to seek advice from someone with a learning disability and ask for their opinion- perhaps you know a person you support who would like to help you!