November has come to an end, and it was a busy and exciting month here at Easy Read Online! Here we will reflect on some highlights from the past month as we look ahead to the festive season.
Spotlight project
We are working on translating the UN's guide for implementing the Jakarta Declaration into an Easy Read format. This guide is designed to help people understand how countries should follow the principles outlined in the Jakarta Declaration.
The Jakarta Declaration emphasises the importance of creating equal communities that include marginalised groups, like disabled people. It calls on countries to ensure disabled people have access to health services, empower disabled people, and create policies that promote participation and equality in all aspects of life.
By creating an Easy Read version of this implementation guide, we aim to simplify these important concepts and provide clear, accessible information on how countries can take meaningful action.
We are proud to contribute to making global initiatives more inclusive so that more disabled people can engage with the important work of the UN. Watch this space for updates on when this guide will be available! You can find the full guide on the UN website.
Free Easy Read Winter Guide
At Easy Read Online, we’re committed to creating resources that make a difference. That’s why last month we developed and shared a free Easy Read guide to getting ready for winter. The guide includes accessible information on:
Staying warm in cold weather, with practical advice and tips.
Getting help with paying bills, including where to find support.
Staying healthy, focusing on getting the relevant vaccines and staying active during winter months.
If you work with or support anyone who may find the information helpful, we invite you to download and share the free Easy Read Winter Guide.
Involving people with learning disabilities
Involving people with learning disabilities is a hugely important part of our process.
This month we’ve been making arrangements with a new group of people with learning disabilities from CASBA, who will regularly review our Easy Read documents. This will be in addition to the other independent groups of people we work with, including our local Mencap group in Liverpool.
End user feedback is invaluable and we’re excited to get some fresh perspective and input to improve the quality of all our Easy Read work.
Our founder’s retirement
Last month we also bid farewell and a happy retirement to our founder, Martin Dobson, who is retiring after 15 years of extraordinary leadership and dedication.
Martin built Easy Read from the ground up, setting out to ensure disabled people can have inclusive and accessible information. Martin’s passion and determination have left a substantial mark, and he has inspired all of us with his kindness, innovative thinking and commitment to our Easy Read values.
While we will miss Martin’s presence in our working day, we are determined to continue building on the strong foundation he created. On behalf of the entire Easy Read Online team, we extend our heartfelt thanks and best wishes to Martin as he enjoys a well-earned retirement.
Christmas closing hours
As Christmas approaches, we’d like to let you know about our Christmas closing hours. We will be closed from Monday the 23rd of December, and we will re-open on Thursday the 2nd of January.
Please note that, while we usually operate a 4-day working week, we’ll be working Friday 20th December to ensure that all important tasks are completed before the break.
Thank You
Our next newsletter will be shared at the end of January - we look forward to connecting with you again in the New Year!