Easy Read People with learning difficulties are some of the most vulnerable people in our society. They are more likely to be socially excluded, have poor physical and mental health, be at risk of abuse or discrimination and have difficulty accessing housing, health care, employment, and independent living. They are also at greater risk of ending up in prison. Pia produces Easy Read, which is an alternative format intended for use by people with learning disabilities, but can also be useful for other groups of people, such as older people and people with English as a second language. The intention is to supply information in a format that is easy to understand both in terms of the way it is presented and the content. Many of the rules which apply to producing accessible print also apply here, such as: - Use a clear typeface
- Don’t use capitals or italics to highlight words
- Use a larger than average point size (16 plus)
- Ensure that there is good contrast between text and background
However in addition the content is made easier to understand by: - Only using words, which are in common everyday usage
- Using numbers not words, i.e.10 not ten
- Using short, clear sentences
- Using full stops but minimising other punctuation
- Using bullet points
- Using pictures or illustrations
- Using colour indexing to help identify sections
Easy Read is a fairly complex alternative format to transcribe because the transcriber must have an understanding of people with learning disabilities. The transcriber must also understand the text in the original document and be able to re-write it so that the meaning is the same. To ensure its suitability, each Easy Read document must be reviewed by people with a learning disability before it is approved. This means that transcribing to Easy Read generally takes longer than transcribing into other alternative formats. If you would like more information or a detailed quotation please don’t hesitate to contact us.
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