Making Written Information Easier to Understand
Guidelines IM & T 18
January 2011
Document Management
Title of document
Making Written Information Easier to Understand
Type of document
Guidelines IM & T 18
Description
This document has been produced as part of the county wide
communication strategy group for staff working with adults with
learning disabilities. This is a multidisciplinary group, involving
staff from the PCT, NHT, the County Council, Mencap, voluntary
services and service users.It provides information on how to
make written information easier to read for people with learning
disabilities.
Target audience
All staff
Author
Belinda Reilly
Department
Speech and Language Therapy
Directorate
Provider Services
Approved by
Clinical Effectiveness and Governance Group
Date of approval
April 2009
Version Number
1 Poster on p 8 replaced July 2008
Next review date
May 2010
Related documents
Superseded documents
Internal distribution
External distribution
Availability
All ratified policies, strategies, procedures and protocols are
published on the Trust Intranet and Public Website.
Contact details (of main
contact for this document)
Name: Belinda Reilly
Address: CTPLD, St Mary’s Hospital
Kettering, Northants NN15 7PW
Tel:
01536 494952
E-mail:belinda.reilly@nht.northants.nhs.uk
Speech and Language Therapy Service
CTPLD, St Mary’s Hospital, Kettering, NN15 7PW
01536 494952
2
Guidelines for producing written information for
people with learning disabilities
This document has been produced as part of the county
wide communication strategy group for staff working with
adults with learning disabilities. This is a multidisciplinary
group, involving staff from the PCT, NHT, the County
Council, Mencap, voluntary services and service users.
It provides information on how to make written information
easier to read for people with learning disabilities. The
document is evidence based, with references at the back.
It is very relevant to equality issues set out in the disability
discrimination act and will be useful to most services
within NHFT.
Speech and Language Therapy Service
CTPLD, St Mary’s Hospital, Kettering, NN15 7PW
01536 494952
3
Making written information
easier to understand
Guidelines for staff working with adults who have Learning
Disabilities
Speech and Language Therapy Service
Community Learning Disability Team
Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust.
30th September 2005
Review September 2006
Revised May 2007, Belinda Reilly
Revised May 2008, Belinda Reilly
Revised May 2009
Review May 2010
Revised March 2011
Speech and Language Therapy Service
CTPLD, St Mary’s Hospital, Kettering, NN15 7PW
01536 494952
4
Contents
Page Number
Why do we need to make written
information easier to understand?
6
Main points
7
Getting started
8
Using Easy Read
9
Layout and design
11
Using pictures
15
More information about making writing easy
to understand
18
Example of Easy Read
19
Checklist
20
Speech and Language Therapy Service
CTPLD, St Mary’s Hospital, Kettering, NN15 7PW
01536 494952
5
Why do we need to make written information
easier to understand?
‘Not enough effort is made to communicate with
people with learning disabilities in accessible ways’
(Department of Health, 2001).
‘It is unlawful for service providers to discriminate
against disabled people’ (Disability Discrimination
Act, 1995).’
All service providers must make “reasonable
adjustments” to ensure disabled people can access
services, (Disability Discrimination Act, 1995)
Speech and Language Therapy Service
CTPLD, St Mary’s Hospital, Kettering, NN15 7PW
01536 494952
6
Main points
 Use short sentences and familiar words (no jargon)
 Use big writing like this (font size 16 and above)
 Break up writing with lots of white spaces:




You can use bullet points
You can use headings
You can use fact boxes
You can use sections
 For most written information put pictures next to the
written word. Example:
Car
 Make sure pictures look like the thing they are talking
about and are easy to see. You don’t need too many
pictures.
Speech and Language Therapy Service
CTPLD, St Mary’s Hospital, Kettering, NN15 7PW
01536 494952
7
Getting Started
Think about who you are talking to
Think about what information is important
Leave out any information which is not important
Leave out any information which is not clear
Other ways of sharing information
There are different ways of getting your message across.
You can use video
You can use audio
You can use large photographs
You can use object props
You can use posters
Speech and Language Therapy Service
CTPLD, St Mary’s Hospital, Kettering, NN15 7PW
01536 494952
8
Using Easy Read
Keep sentences short
 Use 1 idea per sentence. People find it easier to
remember short sentences.
 Sentences should not have more than 15-20 words.
 See if sentences using commas and joined by ‘and’ can
be broken into 2.
Use easy words
 Use everyday words you use in everyday talk.
Example:
√ ‘leave out’
X ‘omit’
√ ‘look at it again’
X ‘review’
 If you have to use difficult words, say what they mean
and highlight the difficult word the first time you use it.
Try not to use abbreviations
Some examples are:
SALT – Speech and Language Therapist
PCP – Person centred plan
SPN – Senior Primary Nurse
DRC – Disability rights commission
Speech and Language Therapy Service
CTPLD, St Mary’s Hospital, Kettering, NN15 7PW
01536 494952
9
Use the number and not the word
 Example:
√ 72
X
Seventy two
 Try not to use percentages or large numbers.
 Use the 12 hour clock rather than the 24 hour clock
Example: √
2.15 – need to use “in the morning” or
“in the afternoon”
X
14.15
‘Talk’ to your reader
 Write as if you are talking to the person.
 Use active sentences. This means saying what is going
to happen. Using active sentences will make the reader
feel more involved.
 Make it clear who will do what.
Example:
√ ‘The Doctor will send you a letter’
X
‘A letter will be sent to you’
Speech and Language Therapy Service
CTPLD, St Mary’s Hospital, Kettering, NN15 7PW
01536 494952
10
Layout and Design
Use big writing
 Use larger fonts of at least 16. Remember many people
may like a bigger font than 16. Use at least 18 for
headings
 Italics and fancy fonts are difficult to read
 Use clear fonts like Arial or Sans serif
Example:
√abcdefg
Xabcdefg
Break up the writing
Make sure there is lots of white space around the writing.





You can use bullet points
You can use boxes
You can use short chunks of writing
You can use headings
You can use clear lists
Speech and Language Therapy Service
CTPLD, St Mary’s Hospital, Kettering, NN15 7PW
01536 494952
11
Write bullet points as a complete sentence
Example:
X
Don’t say: You can:
 go to the cinema
 go shopping
 stay at home
√
Do say: Here are some things you can do:
 You can go to the cinema
 You can go shopping
 You can stay at home
Use good quality matt paper and print
 Shiny paper causes glare. This makes it difficult for
people to see. Use matt laminating pouches as well as
matt paper
 Be careful when photocopying. Photocopying
sometimes changes the quality of the print
 Use computer printers where ever possible
Use black print on white paper
 Print should show up well against the background
 Black print on white paper is best for people who can’t
see well
 Some people like black print on yellow background
Speech and Language Therapy Service
CTPLD, St Mary’s Hospital, Kettering, NN15 7PW
01536 494952
12
Do not use all capitals
Using all capitals makes writing harder to read. There is
no shape to separate words:
 Words in capitals and small letters are easier to read
 Use capitals for the first letter of the first word
 Use capitals for the first letter of names
If important words need to stand out use bold rather
than capitals
You can also use bold to make difficult words stand
out
X
DO NOT TOUCH
√ Do not touch
Make headings clear
Use bold for headings. This is better than underlining,
capitals or italics.
X
DIRECT PAYMENTS
√ Direct payments
Speech and Language Therapy Service
CTPLD, St Mary’s Hospital, Kettering, NN15 7PW
01536 494952
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Best layout and size
 A4 is a popular size. It is easy to handle. It gives
enough space to fit everything on.
Be clear about what order information should be read.
 Remember people can forget to turn over the page to
read print on the back
 It can be confusing to know what order to read folded
documents
Documents should be short. If it is more than 20 pages, it
is too long.
Speech and Language Therapy Service
CTPLD, St Mary’s Hospital, Kettering, NN15 7PW
01536 494952
14
Using Pictures
Using pictures alongside writing is a good way of making
writing easier to understand.
 Choose the best picture to explain your writing.
 You can use different sorts of pictures to get your
message across:
You can use photos
You can use symbols
 Microsoft Clipart is copyrighted. Approved photos and
images are available at http://www.photolibrary.nhs.uk/
Where to put the picture
 Put the picture next to the word or writing it goes with.
 For most pieces of writing put the picture on the left
hand side of the writing. This makes the pictures seem
important.
 Use pictures for key words and ideas.
 Too many pictures can be confusing. You do not need
to put a picture next to every sentence.
Speech and Language Therapy Service
CTPLD, St Mary’s Hospital, Kettering, NN15 7PW
01536 494952
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Choose the pictures that look like what you are
talking about
Examples:
Physiotherapist √
X
√
X
Shop
Use pictures that are easy to see
Some pictures are too ‘busy’. (There are too many things
to see in the picture). This can make the picture difficult to
understand.
This is an example of a busy picture
outside
Speech and Language Therapy Service
CTPLD, St Mary’s Hospital, Kettering, NN15 7PW
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Use pictures that are easy to understand
 Pictures need to be big enough to see and
understand
 Use pictures with thick lines which stand out.
 Black and white pictures are easy to understand for
most people. Some people like colour best.
 Putting a cross through a picture to mean “no” can
make the picture difficult to understand.
Speech and Language Therapy Service
CTPLD, St Mary’s Hospital, Kettering, NN15 7PW
01536 494952
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More information about making writing easy to
understand
Department of Health. (2010). Basic guidelines for people who
commission Easy Read Information. www.dh.gov.uk/publications
Disability Rights Commission. (2003). How to Use Easy Words
and Pictures.
http://www.equalityhumanrights.com/Documents/Disability/General
%20advice%20and%20information/How%20to%20use%20Easy%
20Words%20and%20Pictures.pdf
Levy, G. (2005). Seeing for ourselves: producing accessible
information for people with learning difficulties and visual
impairments. British Journal of Learning Disabilities. 33. 2. 77-82.
Mencap. (2002). Am I making myself clear? Mencap’s guidelines
for accessible writing.
http://www.mencap.org.uk/download/making_myself_clear.pdf
Mencap. (2005). Make It Clear: A guide to making information
easy to read and understand.
http://www.mencap.org.uk/download/make_it_clear/MakeiItClear_
EasyReadGuide.pdf
Plain English Campaign www.plainenglish.co.uk
Plain facts: ‘Information about research for people with learning
difficulties’ by Ruth Townsley and Karen Gyde, Norah Fry
Research Centre, Bristol University.
http://www.bristol.ac.uk/Depts/NorahFry/PlainFacts
Speech and Language Therapy Service
CTPLD, St Mary’s Hospital, Kettering, NN15 7PW
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Example of Easy Read
Date:
Dear
My name is Belinda
I work with people who have difficulty
talking.
I will meet you at work
I will see you on Monday 7th March
at 3.00 p.m.
My telephone number is 01536 494952.
Please ring me if you need to change
the time.
Belinda Reilly
Speech and Language Therapy Service
CTPLD, St Mary’s Hospital, Kettering, NN15 7PW
01536 494952
19
Checklist for
making written information
easier to understand
For staff working with
Adults who have
Learning Disabilities
Speech and Language Therapy Service
CTPLD, St Mary’s Hospital, Kettering, NN15 7PW
01536 494952
20
Using Easy Read
Yes No
Page
Have you kept sentences short?
Yes No
9
Have you written as if you are talking to
the reader?
Yes No
10
Have you used easy words?
Yes No
9
Have you left out abbreviations?
Yes No
9
Have you used numbers instead of words?
Yes No
10
Have you used big writing?
Yes No
11
Have you left lots of white space around
the writing?
Yes No
11
Have you written bullet points as a complete
sentence?
Yes No
12
Have you used matt paper?
Yes No
12
Is the print clear?
Yes No
12
Have you used white or yellow paper?
Yes No
12
Have you used bold for headings?
Yes No
13
Have you used bold to make things
stand out?
Yes No
13
Have you tried to use A4?
Yes No
14
Layout and Design
Is the document short?
Yes
Speech and Language Therapy Service
CTPLD, St Mary’s Hospital, Kettering, NN15 7PW
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No
14
21
Using Pictures
Have you used meaningful pictures to
explain your message?
Yes No
16
Have you put pictures on the left side of
the writing?
Yes No
15
Are the pictures easy to understand?
Yes No
17
Are the pictures easy to see?
Yes No
16
Do you have permission to use these
images?
Yes No
15
Speech and Language Therapy Service
CTPLD, St Mary’s Hospital, Kettering, NN15 7PW
01536 494952
22