Happy Halloween from the Easy Read Online team! This October, we dedicated ourselves to productivity by exploring new, efficient working methods and discovering what best suits our individual styles. Read on to find out what we’ve been working on!
Spotlight Projects
In October, our team translated a range of impactful documents covering a variety of sectors - from criminal justice and healthcare to the arts and international development. Here are two standout documents that our writers have recently translated into Easy Read.
The Department of Justice in Northern Ireland
The Department of Justice (DOJ) in Northern Ireland commissioned us to translate their Victim and Witness Strategy 2025-2030 Call for Views into Easy Read.
In their new strategy, the DOJ emphasises the importance of supporting victims and witnesses of crime, keeping them informed and cared for throughout their entire journey in the criminal justice system.
Victims and witnesses have diverse needs, and this is especially true for disabled people, who may require information or support delivered in different ways than non-disabled people. It is particularly important for the DOJ to consider the needs of disabled victims, as disabled adults experience higher rates of crime. Providing this strategy in Easy Read is an important step toward fulfilling the commitment to support all victims and witnesses.
Check out the Easy Read version here.
International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA)
IDEA is an intergovernmental organisation working to strengthen democratic institutions and electoral processes around the world. In October, IDEA asked us to translate their Local Democracy Primer.
The Local Democracy Primer presented the challenge of translating complex political concepts into clear, concise Easy Read without losing the original meaning.
Non-disabled people often assume that intricate ideas are too difficult to include in Easy Read formats. This can unintentionally disempower disabled people who rely on Easy Read, denying them access to the same information as others, which is vital for making informed decisions and forming personal opinions. Instead of avoiding complex information, we should focus on making it accessible. Our team produced a well-articulated document that clearly and accessibly explains democracy, constitutions, and human rights.
Check out IDEA’s Local Democracy Primer here.
The Easy Read version will be published in due course
4 Day Working Week
From Monday 4th of November, we will begin trialling a 4 day working week as part of the national 4 day week pilot scheme. What does this mean for our clients? In short, not much! Our turnaround times and quality of service will remain consistent, and we will continue to be as productive as we usually are.
To find out more check out our blog post.
Client Testimonials
We are fortunate to collaborate with some great clients who consistently share their appreciation for our Easy Read services. Here are some of our favourite testimonials from the past month:
‘Thanks so much for your help and support on this and for your speedy responses, it’s really been helpful! It was so nice to work on this with you and we look forward to working with you again in the near future.’ From Surrey County Council
‘Thank you so much - it is really a great start, and I never underestimate how hard it is to pull these documents together from your POV, given the breadth of subject matters you must have to do!’ From the Office of the Patient Safety Commissioner
‘Thank you so much for your detailed response - this is really helpful… had nothing but praise for the team.’ From Diabetes UK