3 November 2023

Easy Read – what to think about

By Amelia Ling

You might not know how the process of Easy Read transcription works, or even what to ask for when you place an order with us – that’s why we’re here to help. Before we transcribe your document  into Easy Read, there are four things the A2i team would like you to consider: suitability, purpose, availability, and usability.

Suitability

Think about who you intend to read your document and if Easy Read is a suitable format for them. Easy Read is an alternative format for adults who are learning disabled – it might not be useful for someone with an auditory or visual impairment. We can advise the most appropriate format if you talk to us about who your document is for.

Easy Read is also a digital format that can be converted into an accessible PDF for people who use computer software such as refreshable braille displays, screen readers or screen magnifiers. It’s important to think about people with multiple disabilities who might want to read your document. An Accessible Easy Read PDF is readable for someone with a visual impairment who uses Easy Read.

Everyone’s ability to read and engage with information is different so it’s useful to know the severity of your reader’s learning disability. Documents about healthcare contain complicated terminology that can be useful for some people to learn, given the correct definition, but also confusing and frightening for others.

Purpose

Think about why someone needs to read your document or why you would like them to. When we send your quotation, we will attach a brief for you to fill out. The brief is a clear way for you to tell us about your document, such as the most important parts and any complicated words or phrases you would like explained.

It’s useful to consider if you need all of your document transcribed, or if you could take out any sections that might be more difficult to understand and distract from the more important information. We can always help you to decide which sections you should include.

Tell us if you want us to include any of the graphics in your standard print document. It looks great when there’s a strong resemblance between the original document and the Easy Read version. We can incorporate colours, logos and pictures.

Availability

Think about when you need your document to be published and if you will have enough time to review your document after we despatch it to you. When we send your quotation you will have the opportunity to tell us about any deadlines that we will do our best to accommodate.

If you are unable to send your document when you first contact us, please provide an estimated word count or an idea of when your document would be available.

Usability

Think about how someone will use your Easy Read document. Online questionnaires or surveys need to be converted into editable pdfs so they can be filled out on a computer or phone.

It’s good to think about digitally excluded people who can’t go online or use technology to read your document. You can ask us about print ready pdfs that we can print and distribute for you. Images in a print ready pdf have a higher resolution than a standard pdf that might be sent electronically or put online. They also have crop marks to show where the printer will trim each page.

Most importantly, talk to us about anything you’re unsure about and ask us any questions you might have.

If you’d like a quote to get documents transcribed to Easy Read, get in touch with A2i’s friendly team for a quotation.

Email: info@a2i.co.uk
Web: www.a2i.co.uk
Telephone: 01179 440044
Or use the quick quote form on our website: Quote Request