Simplifying information with Easy Read

What is Easy Read?

Imagine you are a person with an intellectual disability or a person with low literacy, trying to navigate a government service like applying for social housing or finding emergency responders. Filled with uncertainty, you're trying to find your way through new processes and unfamiliar language, making the information hard for you to understand.  

This is the reality for many people across NSW. And that is exactly what Easy Read is here to change.

Easy Read is a way of presenting information in a clear, simple, and structured format using:

• plain language
• large font sizes
• supportive images.

It is designed to make complex services and topics understandable for everyone, no matter their abilities or background.

Image: An example of a health Easy Read resource.

The Easy Read format uses a side-by-side layout with an image on the left and simplified text on the right. Easy Read pages also link to the full information on nsw.gov.au. This ensures people can engage with content in the way that suits them best.  

Easy Read is especially helpful for:

• people with intellectual disabilities or learning difficulties
• those with low literacy
• people who speak English as a second language
• older Australians
• people who rely on carers to help interpret information.

Easy Read makes government information clearer, more inclusive, and easier to understand for everyone.

Why Easy Read matters

When government information is hard to understand, accessing services, staying informed, or making everyday decisions becomes more difficult. Easy Read helps remove these barriers.

Here is why it matters:

• Almost 50% of Australians have literacy levels below what’s needed for daily tasks¹
• 25% of NSW residents speak a language other than English at home²
• 1.34 million people in NSW live with a disability, with 1 in 20 needing daily support.³

Easy Read empowers people to find, understand and use the services they rely on. It removes jargon, simplifies structure, and delivers clear messages in a format that’s easier to follow.

Easy Read supports equal access to information, helping people overcome communication barriers that may arise from language, cognitive, or literacy challenges. Inclusion isn’t optional, it’s essential.

Image: An example of an education Easy Read resource.

What’s new on nsw.gov.au

At the end of 2024, the NSW Government launched a dedicated Easy Read hub to make it easier for people to find and access simplified content. It was developed in conjunction with accessibility and Easy Read experts, including Easy Read Australia, The Information Access Group and the Council for Intellectual Disability. Previously, Easy Read content was buried within pages across different parts of the site, making it difficult to find unless users knew exactly what to search for. Now, the hub is a central location for all Easy Read content and is accessible from any page across the site via the top navigation bar.

So far, 64 Easy Read pages have been published, covering topics like health, housing, transport, legal matters and government services. These are purposefully designed resources created to meet people where they are.

The response to Easy Read has been strong. In the past month, the Easy Read hub attracted more than 91,000 views, with an average engagement rate of 74.84%. This highlights the need for accessible, easy-to-find content.

Image: The Easy Read resources hub on nsw.gov.au

A better way to create accessible content

The improvements aren’t just for users; content authors benefit too.  

Creating Easy Read content is simpler. A dedicated Easy Read content type on nsw.gov.au removes the need to build pages from scratch. When authors create a new Easy Read page, the styling and layout will automatically follow best practice.  

Existing Easy Read pages have been migrated to the new content type for consistency. Authors now spend less time on layout and more on creating meaningful content that supports accessibility.

Content authors are also supported with the Easy Read style guide. The guide is part of the NSW Government’s Accessibility and Inclusivity Toolkit which aims to uplift capability across the public sector to ensure that digital services are accessible and inclusive for everyone in NSW.  

What this means for you

If you create or manage content on nsw.gov.au, ask yourself:

• Is this content easy to understand?
• Could an Easy Read version support a broader audience?
• Are there hidden barriers stopping someone from accessing this information?

By considering Easy Read as part of your content strategy, you help remove barriers and enable greater understanding and participation.

Creating inclusive content is a shared responsibility. Incorporating Easy Read into your content can help make NSW government services more equitable and accessible for all.

Another step towards better accessibility and inclusion

Easy Read is more than a new format. It reflects a commitment to accessibility and inclusion. Visit the Easy Read Hub, explore the Easy Read style guide and start creating content that everyone can understand.

Reference list

¹Australian Bureau of Statistics, July 2008, Adult literacy, Australian Social Trends, 2008, cat. no. 4102.0, Chapter 6, ABS, Canberra.

² Transcultural Mental Health Centre, April 2019, Demographic Fact Sheet: New South Wales 2019.

³ Judicial Commission of New South Wales, April 2025, Equality before the Law Bench Book: Section 5 — People with disabilities.