2 December 2019
Easy Read – should you be providing it?
What is an Easy Read?
Easy Read is an increasingly popular format and we are translating more and more documents for our customers. But not everyone knows what it is or whether they should be proving their information in Easy Read for their customers and service users. Hopefully A2i can help you with this decision.
In summary, Easy Read is a written document format used by adults with a learning disability, to help them understand and access information.
The most important thing to remember is that people with learning disabilities need access to all types of information, not just disability-specific information. They need to know about their health, work, education, transport and their communities, amongst other things.
A reasonable adjustment for disabled people
The Equality Act 2010 says all organisations should make their services and information about their services accessible for disabled people as a ‘reasonable adjustment’.
Providing your documents in Easy Read would generally be seen as a reasonable adjustment if you are giving any written information to the public in general (of which some may have a learning disability), or for adults with a learning disability specifically.
If you still aren’t sure whether your organisation needs to be providing your documents in Easy Read:
- read our Easy Read FAQ blog for more information
- ask your customers/users if they need any of your information in Easy Read, if possible
- check for more guidance on reasonable adjustments from the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s website.
Remember, providers of public services need to be proactive in their efforts to make reasonable adjustments, you shouldn’t just wait for a request.
Read the Easy Read page on our website for more information.
For a quote or some help contact us at
Email: info@a2i.co.uk
Webform: https://a2i.co.uk/quote-request/
Telephone: 01179 44 00 44
