Award winner (2025)13th June 2025
Championing Inclusive Communication
In the heart of a bustling community, the Easy Read Team stands as a beacon of empowerment and inclusion, dedicated to creating safe spaces for understanding. Formed in 2005, this diverse group of adults with learning disabilities embarked on a mission to make crucial information accessible to everyone. Through their innovative use of Easy Read formats, they tackle challenging subjects – from suicide prevention to local authority strategies – ensuring that no one is left in the dark.
Though the members of the Easy Read Team range in age from 27 to 72 and include both women and men, they share a common passion: the belief that communication should never be a barrier. Each member brings their unique perspective as experts by experience, advocating for a world where important information is clear and easy to understand.
Tackling the Tough Topics
The team believes it is vital to talk about difficult topics – even ones that might bring up strong emotions – because everyone deserves access to that information. One example is their work around death, dying, and funerals, carried out in collaboration with another self-advocacy organisation.
Recognising the emotional weight of this subject, the team ensures there are always two supporters present to offer help if needed. Every team member is given a choice before starting and can step back at any point. Their approach is grounded in respect and care, reinforcing the principle that sensitive topics should not be off-limits – they simply need to be handled thoughtfully and inclusively.
Making an Impact
The Easy Read Team has worked on several projects that have had a lasting impact on their community:
- The Big Plan (Bromley’s Learning Disability Strategy 2025): The team translated a 60-page council document filled with jargon into a 24-page Easy Read. This new document has become a cornerstone reference in partnership board meetings and subgroups, directly shaping how the council works toward its pledges for the next five years.
- Mate and Hate Crime Booklet (circa 2016): The team developed a powerful guide addressing hate and mate crime against people with learning disabilities. This project included role plays, personal testimonies, and practical guidance. Distributed across Greater London and adapted with local contact info, it brought much-needed attention to an under-recognised issue and sparked discussions at partnership boards.
- Training Others: The team has designed and delivered training on what Easy Read is and why it matters, helping others learn to create accessible documents. They’ve seen the fruits of their efforts as many attendees have returned for feedback and review, striving to maintain good practice.
Harnessing Technology
Guided by the supportive hand of Susie from Advocacy for All, the team’s confidence and technical skills have soared. Harnessing tools like iPads, laptops, and specialised software such as PhotoSymbols, they’ve embraced digital technology. When suitable images aren’t available, the team now confidently uses cameras, green screens, and editing software to create the right visuals. They meet online twice a month to develop these skills further, learning how to create professional-looking documents, including editable PDFs – a feature that has allowed people to complete forms digitally, such as those for Personal Health Budgets with the NHS.
Leadership and Collaboration
Many of the Easy Read Team members are leaders in their own right, contributing to partnership boards and local governance forums across health, transport, and community services. They collaborate closely with Advocacy for All’s safeguarding team, the Bromley Together Training Team, and their media team peers – ensuring each project benefits from a range of lived experiences and skillsets. Every piece of work is reviewed and tested, asking the question: “Can the image alone convey the message for someone who struggles with words?”
A Culture of Reflection and Growth
After every project, the team collects feedback from clients and carries out internal reviews to assess what worked and what could be improved. Their client testimonials speak volumes:
It has been great to work with Advocacy for All on creating accessible documents for our project within the NHS Integrated Care Board. It was important for the piece of work that the documents were worked on as a team and ensured people with lived experience were part of the planning.
Advocacy for All worked with us punctually and professionally. The end result is really great and we hope to work with them again!
Looking Ahead
The team is continually seeking ways to expand their inclusivity, including exploring how to make documents screen reader compatible and considering audio formats for those who process information better by listening. They remain dedicated to collaborating with other self-advocacy groups across the country to push the self-advocacy movement forward and promote Easy Read as a basic standard, not an afterthought. They also remain committed to holding organisations accountable when accessibility standards are not met.
With their unwavering commitment to inclusion, leadership through lived experience, and drive to educate and empower others, the Easy Read Team’s work is not just changing documents – it’s changing lives. Their nomination for the Learning Disability and Autism Leader Award is a testament to their impact and vision. As they continue their journey, they stand firm in their belief that information should be for everyone.