Some people with learning disabilities need to use mental health services, but can find that these services are not well informed about how to support them. One part of good support is the provision of easy read information about mental health services, human rights and psychiatric treatment.
Help with creating easy read materials
Creating easy read materials is not easy, since complex language and jargon is both useful and natural for many people, so setting it aside can be difficult, but also because the authors often need to preserve some of the most important nuances and subtleties of their message. Some help is available from the sources listed below.
- guidance for people who commission easy read information for people with learning disabilities is available from the UK Department of Health here and from Europe. What is expected is set out in the Accessible Information Standard, part 1 and part 2.
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The Easy Read Facebook Group has over 1600 members who create and use Easy Read material and are willing to offer advice and share resources.
- Some organisations, such as Inspired Services, sell their skills in converting complicated documents into easy read versions.
- Research has found that the best information is personalised to the individual – see here. Also Buell et al’s 2020 report here.
- A research project found that showing an information video in short clips with time in between to discuss the message was much more effective for learning disabled people than showing the uninterrupted film – see here.
- International progress on making websites accessible is reported here.
- If you are building your own materials, this website is useful.
Websites where easy read materials may be found
The easy read leaflets collected from a selection of websites appear as hyperlinks in the sections below. If you wish to check out the websites themselves, they are listed here.
Some of the leaflets below may be out of date or tailored for use in a particular area, so take care! As Easyhealth put it…
| Each leaflet or film…is owned by the people who made it. We cannot promise that their information is up-to-date, accurate or reliable. They are responsible for doing this. Therefore, [we] cannot be held responsible for anything bad that happens as a result of using this website. |
Having a great life
Five ways to well-being
Healthy eating and being active
Taking exercise and a guide to using this booklet
Looking after your health
Looking after your mental health and here and keeping well checklist and helping other people look after their mental health
Tips to help your mental health
How to relax
Getting a good night’s sleep and guide to using this booklet
Friendship and fake friends
Love, sex and you – and LGBT and here
Managing money and Banking
Enjoy getting older
How to use a mobile phone
Building a community that welcomes everyone
Staying safe
Click here for easy read leaflets on staying safe.
Communication
Click here for easy read leaflets on communication.
Explaining about mental health issues
Click here for easy read leaflets on explaining about mental health issues.
Hospital and other healthcare
Click here for easy read leaflets on explaining what happens when you see a mental health professional or go to hospital.
Care planning
Solving your own problems and a guide to using this booklet
Recovery Plan (also here)
Care Programme Approach
So you’re on CPA – what does it mean?
My care plan
Health Action Plan and here
End of life care plan
Medication
Click here for easy read leaflets on medicines used in treating mental health issues.
Citizenship, your rights and the law
Click here for easy read leaflets on citizenship, your rights, getting in trouble with the law, mental capacity and the Mental Health Act.
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