Having a standard approach to Easy Read design is important for several reasons:
- Consistency: A standardised approach ensures that Easy Read materials maintain consistency in language, formatting, and presentation across different documents and platforms. This consistency helps users become familiar with the format, making it easier for them to navigate and understand the content.
- Accessibility: A standard approach to Easy Read design incorporates best practices for accessibility, ensuring that materials are clear, concise, and easy to understand for individuals with cognitive disabilities, learning difficulties, or low literacy levels. This promotes inclusivity and ensures that information is accessible to a wider audience.
- Quality Assurance: By adhering to a standard approach, organizations can implement quality assurance processes to review and assess the effectiveness of Easy Read materials. This helps identify areas for improvement and ensures that content meets the needs of the intended audience.
- Efficiency: Following a standardized approach streamlines the design and production process for Easy Read materials. Templates, guidelines, and tools can be developed to facilitate the creation of accessible content, saving time and resources for organizations and content creators.
- Legal Compliance: In many regions, there are legal requirements or guidelines for providing accessible information to individuals with disabilities. Adopting a standard approach to Easy Read design helps organisations comply with these regulations and avoid potential legal issues related to accessibility.
Overall, a standard approach to Easy Read design promotes consistency, accessibility, quality assurance, efficiency, and legal compliance, ultimately enhancing the effectiveness of communication and ensuring that information is accessible to all.