Easy Read Guide: Complete Steps to Accessible Communication in 2026

An easy read guide. That’s what organisations need when they’re serious about accessible communication. Easy read is changing how they communicate with people who find standard text difficult to understand. Whether someone has a learning disability, dyslexia, low literacy, English as a second language, or simply prefers visual communication, easy read makes information accessible without talking down to anyone.

But here’s what most organisations discover. Creating one easy read document is a project. Creating fifty a year is a headache. The cost, time and coordination required to manually convert documents into easy read format is why most organisations end up with a handful of polished examples and a much larger pile of everyday communications that never get converted at all.

This guide covers everything you need to know about easy read documents. What they are. Why they matter. How to create them. How to scale production. And how tools like askVERA are changing the whole economics of accessible communication.

What Are Easy Read Documents?

Easy read is a way of communicating that makes written information accessible to people who find standard text difficult to understand. It combines simplified language, clear structure and picture symbols to get your meaning across quickly and reliably.

The core principle is simple. One idea per sentence. One sentence per line. Paired with a picture. But getting that right across a complex document, a policy, a service guide, a consent form, that takes discipline and purpose.

Easy Read vs Plain Language vs Simple English

Easy read, plain language and simple English are related but different. Understanding what sets them apart matters because each works for different audiences.

Plain language simplifies text by removing jargon, using active voice and organising information logically. It makes text easier for everyone to read. Professionals, educated readers, people with lower literacy. Plain language assumes the reader can handle standard formatting and multi-clause sentences.

Simple English (sometimes called “easy English”) uses shorter words and simpler grammar than standard English, but doesn’t rely on images or special formatting. A simple English document might reduce reading level from grade 12 to grade 6, but it still expects the reader to process paragraphs and dense text.

Easy read goes further. It assumes the reader may struggle with:

• Reading text at all (very low literacy or learning disability)
• Processing multiple ideas in one sentence
• Understanding text-only information
• Navigating dense pages

Easy read solves these problems by adding structure (one idea per line), visuals (picture symbols) and layout principles (white space, large fonts, consistent positioning).

When to use each:

• Plain language: General public communication, marketing, customer-facing documents
• Simple English: People with learning disabilities, low literacy, or ESL learners who can still read
• Easy read: People with more significant literacy challenges, or as a universal design approach (benefits everyone, required by law for some organisations)

Most organisations should use all three across their communications portfolio.

Why Easy Read Matters. The Legal and Business Case

Legal Obligations

In the UK and EU, easy read is increasingly a legal requirement.

The Equality Act 2010 (UK) requires public authorities to make “reasonable adjustments” to ensure people with disabilities can access information. For many organisations, “reasonable” now includes easy read.

The Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) requires public bodies. Councils, NHS, government agencies, schools. To actively eliminate discrimination and promote equality. Easy read documents are evidence of compliance.

The Accessible and Inclusive Communication Standard (UK guidance from inclusion-europe.eu) establishes what good easy read looks like. Documents meeting this standard demonstrate due diligence for legal exposure.

WCAG 2.1 (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) doesn’t mandate easy read, but it requires content to be “readable and understandable” (Level A). Easy read often exceeds this.

Business Case

Beyond compliance, easy read delivers real benefits.

• Better comprehension: People with learning disabilities, cognitive challenges and low literacy understand easy read documents 40 to 80 per cent better than standard text (EU research)
• Fewer support calls: When tenant guides, consent forms or service letters are in easy read, support teams handle fewer clarification calls
• Fewer errors: Patients and service users make fewer mistakes when instructions are in easy read format
• Inclusive brand: Organisations publishing easy read documents show they care about accessibility. This increasingly influences hiring, partnerships and customer choices

These benefits explain why easy read has moved from “nice-to-have” to “essential”. That’s why this guide exists. Organisations that implement easy read strategically see measurable improvements in compliance, user satisfaction and support efficiency.

Easy Read Standards and Guidelines

Easy read is governed by the EU Easy Read Guidelines. A comprehensive standard developed by Inclusion Europe (the European organisation of people with intellectual disabilities and their families). These guidelines are used across Europe and increasingly adopted globally.

The 10 Core Principles of Easy Read

1. Short sentences: One idea per sentence, typically 8 to 12 words maximum
2. Plain words: Avoid jargon, technical terms and abstract concepts without explanation
3. Short paragraphs: Usually 2 to 5 sentences, with white space between
4. One topic per page: Avoid overwhelming readers with too much information at once
5. Clear structure: Use numbered or bulleted lists. Avoid nested hierarchies
6. Large fonts: Minimum 12 to 14pt for body text, preferably sans-serif (Arial, Verdana)
7. Picture symbols: One symbol per sentence or idea (not decorative, purposeful)
8. Simple layout: Avoid boxes, columns or complex formatting. Left-aligned, consistent positioning
9. Appropriate images: Use real photos or clear illustrations, not abstract graphics
10. Left-to-right, top-to-bottom: Respect standard reading order. Avoid placing text over images

Measuring Compliance

The EU Easy Read Guidelines provide a compliance checklist. Documents are assessed against criteria like:

• Readability level (typically 4 to 6 on the Fry readability scale)
• Image relevance and accuracy
• Page density and white space
• Formatting consistency

Compliance scores typically range from 60 to 100 per cent. A score of 80 per cent or above indicates a document meets the standard.

How to Create Easy Read Documents

There are two ways to create easy read documents. Manual creation by specialists. And automated creation with human review. Understanding both helps you choose the right path for your organisation.

The Manual Process

Creating easy read documents manually involves five steps.

1. Simplify the language

Read the source text sentence by sentence. Rewrite each sentence using:

• Active voice (“The council will send you a letter” not “A letter will be sent by the council”)
• Plain words (“start” not “commence”. “help” not “facilitate”)
• One idea per sentence (“The meeting is on Tuesday. It starts at 2pm.” not “The Tuesday meeting starts at 2pm”)

This step is time-consuming but critical. A poorly simplified document creates confusion.

2. Organise into pages

Divide the content into logical pages. Typically 1 to 2 ideas per page. This prevents cognitive overload.

3. Source and place picture symbols

For each sentence or idea, find a corresponding picture symbol. Symbol libraries like Widgit, Boardmaker and Sclera provide thousands of images. But finding the right symbol for each sentence requires judgment.

Place the symbol beside the relevant text. Sized consistently and positioned the same way throughout the document.

4. Format and layout

Apply consistent formatting. Fonts, sizes, colours, spacing. Use the same font, size and colour throughout to reduce visual complexity.

5. Review and test

Have the document reviewed by:

• A person with learning disabilities (if possible)
• A subject matter expert (to ensure accuracy)
• An easy read specialist (to ensure standard compliance)

The Automated Process

Tools like askVERA automate the heavy lifting. Your team does the important part.

1. Upload the source document (any format). askVERA handles it
2. AI processing automatically rewrites content in easy read style or plain English and suggests matching picture symbols (for easy read). askVERA does this
3. Human review. You refine wording, swap symbols, confirm meaning. This is where the real control stays with you
4. Quality score automatically assesses compliance against EU guidelines. askVERA scores it
5. Export for distribution. You publish it

Automation doesn’t replace human judgment. It removes the mechanical work. Initial simplification, symbol hunting, formatting. So your team focuses on meaning and tone.

Easy Read Document Types and Use Cases

Easy read is used across all sectors. Here are the most common document types.

Public Sector (Councils, Government)

• Tenancy agreements and tenant guides
• Council services guides (waste collection, libraries, housing repairs)
• Consultation materials
• Complaints procedures
• Safeguarding policies
• Electoral information

Challenge: High volume and rolling production. A local authority might need 40 to 60 easy read documents per year as policies update and new services launch.

Solution: Automated production pipeline. New documents are converted to easy read as part of standard publication. Not as an afterthought.

Health and Social Care

• Patient consent forms
• Medication information
• Appointment letters
• Discharge summaries
• Care plans
• Safeguarding procedures

Challenge: Accuracy is critical. A misunderstood consent form or medication instruction has serious consequences.

Solution: Dual review. Both a clinical specialist and an easy read expert review before publication.

Education

• School policies and student handbooks
• SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) communication
• Exam information and instructions
• Safeguarding materials for students

Challenge: Reach students across a wide range of abilities. One school might need easy read materials for ages 5 to 18.

Solution: Tiered approach. Age-appropriate versions. Different complexity levels for the same content.

Charities and Not-for-Profits

• Service user guides
• Fundraising and volunteer information
• Annual reports in accessible format
• Governance documents for people with disabilities

Challenge: Limited budget. Many small charities can’t afford external easy read services.

Solution: Volunteer-led production or software tools that reduce specialist labour requirements.

The Economics of Easy Read Production

Manual easy read production costs £1,000 to £3,000 per document. This depends on:

• Document length
• Complexity
• Turnaround time
• Whether it’s done in-house or externally

For an organisation with 50 or more documents to convert per year, this becomes unsustainable. Most organisations end up with 5 to 10 polished easy read documents and a backlog of 100 or more that never get converted.

Cost Models for Easy Read

External agency:

• £2,000 to £3,000 per document
• 4 to 8 weeks turnaround
• Quality assured but expensive
• Suitable for: High-stakes documents, one-off conversions

In-house team:

• £500 to £1,500 per document (labour cost)
• 1 to 3 weeks turnaround
• Consistent quality, requires ongoing expertise
• Suitable for: Organisations with rolling volume (20 or more documents per year)

Software plus in-house review:

• £7.50 to £15 per document (software cost)
• 2 to 4 hours review time per document
• Quality depends on reviewer expertise
• Suitable for: High-volume production (50 or more documents per year)

For a council producing 60 documents per year:

• External route: £120,000 to £180,000 annually (unsustainable)
• In-house team: £30,000 to £90,000 (3 to 6 staff, all specialist roles)
• Software plus review: £450 to £900 software plus £10,000 to £20,000 reviewer time equals £10,500 to £21,000 annually

The software route reduces cost by 80 to 90 per cent whilst maintaining quality. This is why automated production is transforming the sector.

Building a Sustainable Easy Read Programme

Organisations sustaining easy read production at scale do four things consistently. Whether they follow this guide or develop their own process. Here’s what separates success from stalled initiatives.

1. Assign an Owner

One person. The Communications Manager, EDI Lead or Accessibility Officer. Controls the intake list, batching, deadlines and quality gates. This person doesn’t necessarily do the work. They manage the pipeline.

Without an owner, easy read production becomes ad-hoc. Competing priorities. Inconsistent quality. Stalled backlogs.

2. Convert at Source

New policies, letters and communications are converted to easy read as part of standard publication. Not as an afterthought. Build conversion into your workflow.

Draft document. Editorial review. Easy read conversion. Publication.

This prevents the “we’ll do easy read versions later” trap that creates backlogs.

3. Set the Quality Gate Once

Agree on a minimum compliance standard. Typically 80 per cent against EU guidelines. Apply it to everything. This removes subjectivity and gives managers a single metric to track.

4. Plan by Reviewer Capacity

Since automated tools handle drafting, the constraint becomes review capacity. If your reviewers can approve 5 documents per week, you can commit to producing 20 per month. Plan volume around what reviewers can realistically handle.

Easy Read Software and Tools

The Landscape

Easy read software falls into three categories.

Remediation tools (Equidox, CommonLook, Crawford Technologies)

• Focus on PDF accessibility and tagging
• Useful for converting existing PDFs but limited for creating new easy read content
• More suited to document accessibility than easy read simplification

Translation and simplification tools (askVERA, Texthelp Read&Write)

• Automatically simplify and rewrite content
• Suggest picture symbols
• Include image libraries
• Purpose-built for easy read production

General accessibility suites (Accessibility Checker, WAVE)

• Assess accessibility compliance
• Do not create easy read content
• Useful for auditing, not production

Choosing a Tool

When evaluating easy read software, prioritise:

1. Simplification quality. Does the AI produce readable, accurate simplified text?
2. Symbol library size and relevance. Can it find appropriate symbols quickly?
3. Ease of review. Can non-specialists edit and approve content?
4. Compliance scoring. Does it measure against recognised standards?
5. Integration. Can it work with the tools your team already uses?
6. Support. Is training and customer support available?

Implementing Easy Read in Your Organisation

Getting Started. The Pilot Approach

The most successful implementations follow this sequence. Starting small. Measuring impact. Then scaling. It’s the approach recommended by accessibility practitioners across the sector. And it’s what makes the difference between a stalled initiative and a sustainable programme. Whether you use this guide or develop your own process, this sequence works.

1. Select 5 to 10 high-impact documents. Ones people ask about frequently. Ones that contain critical information. Or ones that affect vulnerable people
2. Set a quality standard. Aim for 80 per cent compliance against EU guidelines
3. Run the pilot. Manually or using software
4. Measure impact. Feedback from users. Support call reduction. Positive sentiment
5. Review cost and timeline
6. Scale if successful

A successful pilot gives you data to justify budget and staffing for larger rollout.

Moving to Production

Once you’ve proven the model:

1. Allocate a dedicated role. Even if part-time. To manage easy read production
2. Implement a tool or process. Software for automation. Templates for consistency
3. Build a symbol library. Or use an existing one like Widgit or Sclera
4. Create review workflows. Who approves. Timeline. Quality gates
5. Integrate into publication process. Easy read conversion happens with standard publication. Not separately
6. Track metrics. Documents produced. Compliance scores. User feedback

FAQ. Common Questions About Easy Read

Q. Is easy read only for people with learning disabilities?

A. No. Easy read benefits anyone who finds standard text difficult. People with dyslexia. Older adults. People with English as a second language. People with cognitive fatigue. Universal design principle: designing for people with significant accessibility needs benefits everyone.

Q. Doesn’t easy read “dumb down” information?

A. No. Easy read simplifies language and adds visuals but doesn’t reduce accuracy or completeness. A consent form in easy read covers all the same legal information as the standard version. Just presented more clearly.

Q. How long does it take to create an easy read document?

A. Manual process: 2 to 4 weeks depending on document length and complexity. Using automated software: 2 to 4 hours for review and approval. With AI handling the initial conversion.

Q. What’s the difference between easy read and subtitles or captions?

A. Easy read is for written text. Captions are for video or audio. They’re complementary accessibility tools.

Q. Can you use easy read for everything?

A. Most documents benefit from easy read versions. But priority goes to:

• Public-facing information (people have the right to understand decisions affecting them)
• High-volume documents (cost-benefit is better)
• Critical information (where misunderstanding has serious consequences)

Q. How do I know if an easy read document is good?

A. Check against EU Easy Read Guidelines. A compliance score of 80 per cent or above indicates good quality. Also test with the actual audience. Do people with learning disabilities understand it?

Q. Can I use online translation tools to create easy read?

A. No. Translation tools (Google Translate, etc.) simplify grammar and vocabulary but don’t understand the specific principles of easy read. One idea per sentence. Symbol placement. Layout. They produce readable text but not good easy read.

Q. Who should review easy read documents?

A. Ideally, both a subject matter expert (to ensure accuracy) and a person with learning disabilities or accessibility experience (to ensure comprehension). In practice, start with subject matter expert review and add accessibility review once you scale.

Why Easy Read Matters for Google and AI Search

Search engines and AI assistants increasingly prioritise accessibility and clear communication.

• Google’s E-E-A-T algorithm. (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) Rewards clear, well-structured information
• AI assistants like Claude. Cite accessible, well-explained sources more readily
• Featured snippets. (The “Position 0” that appears at the top of search) Favour clear definitions and Q and A structure

Easy read documents. With their clear structure. One-idea-per-section format. Comprehensive coverage. Naturally rank well in both search and AI systems. Because they’re simply better-written.

Getting Started with Easy Read

Easy read adoption isn’t a single project. It’s a commitment to communication that serves the widest possible audience. From the clearest thinker to the person who struggles most.

Organisations that sustain easy read production share one characteristic. They accept that the first document is hard. The tenth is standard practice. The fiftieth is business as usual.

The barrier to the first document is often not cost or complexity but mindset. “Who is this for? Do we really need it?”

The answer, increasingly, is yes. Easy read is not a nice-to-have accessibility feature. It’s becoming a baseline expectation for transparent, responsible communication.

Next Steps

1. Identify your highest-priority document. The one most people ask about. Or one that affects your most vulnerable audience
2. Create an easy read version. Use askVERA. Hire an external specialist. Do it in-house
3. Measure impact. Track user feedback. Support call changes. User satisfaction
4. Plan your next conversions. Based on what you learn

Conclusion

Easy read documents are no longer optional for organisations serving public audiences. People with disabilities. Anyone who values inclusive communication. The legal case is clear. The business case is proven. The tools to make it sustainable are available now.

The organisations leading in accessibility aren’t the ones struggling to manually create easy read documents. They’re the ones who’ve built it into how they communicate. Using a mix of human judgment and software automation to sustain production at scale.

Your first easy read document is an investment in clarity for the widest possible audience. Your fiftieth is simply how you communicate now.

Related Resources

• EU Easy Read Guidelines – The international standard for easy read
• askVERA. Automated Easy Read Production – Software for sustainable production
• Accessibility for Local Government – Easy read in public sector
• Simplifying Complexity. Easy Read Conversion – How the conversion process works

Call to Action

If you manage communications for a public organisation, health service, school or charity.

Easy read production at scale is now achievable and affordable. askVERA makes it possible to convert 50 or more documents per year without maintaining a large specialist team.

Try askVERA Free. Test the workflow on your own documents. No credit card required.

Or Schedule a Demo to see how other organisations have built sustainable easy read programmes.