Easy to Read
The United Nation's Standard Rules on the Equalization of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities clearly defines the concept of accessible information for people with various communication needs. According to Rule 5, persons with disabilities and, where appropriate, their families and advocates should have access to full information on diagnosis, rights, and available services and programs. Such information should be presented in forms accessible to persons with disabilities. This is Easy to Read.
Braille, tape services, large print, and other appropriate, innovative technologies should be used to provide access to written information and documentation for persons with visual disabilities. Similarly, appropriate technologies should be used to provide access to spoken information for persons with hearing disabilities or comprehension difficulties. Sign language interpretation services should also be provided to facilitate the communication between deaf persons and others. In addition, anyone who has difficulty in reading and writing the language of the country in which they live will be potentially interested in receiving Easy to Read and easy-to-understand information.
People can have literacy problems for different reasons including a learning disability, another kind of disability affecting the ability to read or to understand, limited formal education, social problems, or because their mother tongue differs from the official language of their community. An Easy to Read document can therefore be defined as one that contains only the most important information and is written, and presented, in the most direct way, so that the largest possible audience can understand it.
For more information
Inclusion Europe has several Easy to Read documents on disability rights and the European Union available for download on their website. Many documents are available in multiple European languages. To view these documents, please click here.