Essential information about government services is about to become more accessible with the launch of the Easy Read Hub, part of the NSW Government’s commitment to make all government documents accessible to people with an intellectual disability by 2025.
The Easy Read format presents information in a way that is straightforward and easy to understand, with simplified language, large font sizes and images to support text.
So far, 36 topics have been translated into Easy Read.
They include guides on applying for social housing, paying debts, and accessing TAFE courses.
An additional 10 guides, covering topics from emergency preparedness to topping up Opal cards and staying safe from scams, are in development.
Member for Gosford Liesl Tesch said the government’s commitment to the Easy Read Hub was a pleasing development.
“It’s about time that we did this, to ensure that everybody can be included in government communications,” she said.
“The Easy Read Hub is fantastic news for a large section of the population who have previously been denied access.
“By making important information accessible for people with intellectual disability, we also make it more accessible to people with low literacy levels, people who have English as a second language and people that require assistance in their daily lives.”
“The launch of this Easy Read Hub is an important step in advancing inclusion.”
Work is also well underway across all NSW Government departments, in partnership with the Council for Intellectual Disability, to develop an Easy Read Style Guide.
This will ensure all NSW Government departments can prepare online content using Easy Read.
More information about Easy Read is available at www.nsw.gov.au/easy-read