Easy read and how to do it

Easy Read information is made for people with learning disabilities. It uses simple words and pictures to make things easier to understand. Whenever I write in Easy Read, I learn new things about how to do it well. So, what have I learnt so far? Here are my five top tips to get you started.

1. Listen to people

Involve your audience right from the start. Listen to them. How do they like to get their information? Imagine you are talking to them as you write.

2. Keep it short

Use simple sentences of 15 words at the most. Aim for no more than 500 words in total. For booklets or leaflets eight pages is good. Less is better.

3. Keep it plain

Use fonts like Ariel, Helvetica, Calibri or Gill Sans. These fonts are plain (also called sans serif) without any extra bits at the end of letters.

AND DON'T WRITE IN LARGE BLOCKS OF CAPITAL LETTERS LIKE THIS. It’s harder to read.

4. Keep it easy to see

Words should be large. They should be 16pt. pt stands for point, which just means size. The easiest words to read are black on a white background, like this. Black and white on its own can get boring. Use a coloured picture to explain each new point or paragraph. Pictures should be at least four centimetres in size. Always put pictures on the left and words on the right side of the page.

5. Don’t use hard words

· Don’t use abbreviations. That means don’t use capital letters like PIP instead of Personal Independence Payment.

· Don’t use words only some people understand, like ‘financial assets’ instead of ‘money.’

· Don’t use long words if a short one will do. If you can’t find a short word, then explain what you mean.

· Don’t use hyphens to cut a word in half at the end of a line. That’s just confus-

ing!

Easy read isn’t always easy. Creating it is a skill and can be time consuming. Why not get in touch to chat through any easy read projects you have coming up, or for more information about in-house training?

Pictures and easy read text make information easier to understand