Brighton & Hove City Council has launched a new easy read information hub on its website to ensure that residents with learning disabilities and their parents, carers and support staff can access key information about council services.
Grace Eyre was one of the organisations that helped create it.
The new easy read information hub includes resources such as:
- health and care
- voting and elections
- housing and support
- travelling around the city
- benefits and pensions
- jobs, education and training
Visit the New Easy Read Information Hub
Easy read is an accessible way of sharing information with people with learning disabilities. It uses easy words, short, jargon-free sentences, large text and pictures.
In 2020, it was estimated that there were around 5,000 people in Brighton & Hove with a learning disability. This is predicted to rise to 6,400 by 2035.
Working in partnership
The easy read information hub was co-produced with the learning disability community and local partners including Grace Eyre and our friends at Speak Out, The Carer’s Centre, Amaze and The Parent Carer’s Council.
Six working groups were formed to deliver actions outlined in the strategy that the learning disability community told us were important to them.
Earlier this year, one of the working groups ran a survey to find out what information the learning disability community want the council to provide. These findings were used to create the easy read information hub.
Valuable resources
Councillor Amanda Grimshaw
Councillor Amanda Grimshaw, Lead Member for Disability Rights, said:
“I’m delighted that we have launched our new easy read information hub, bringing together valuable council resources in an accessible format for our learning disability community.
“This is the result of collaboration with partner organisations in the city who support learning disabled people. Co-producing the hub and running several rounds of testing ensures this resource can best meet this diverse community’s needs.
“The easy read information hub is constantly being reviewed and updated with new information so the hub can continue to be used by those with learning disabilities for years to come.”
Eva Eriksson, Chief Executive at Grace Eyre, said:
Chief Executive Eva Eriksson
“I’m really pleased to see the launch of the council’s easy read hub and proud of the part my colleagues at Grace Eyre and other valued partners have played in developing it, as well as the feedback that many of the people we support have already provided.
“Clear, pictorial easy read information will greatly benefit more than 5,000 people with a learning disability in Brighton & Hove who may otherwise struggle to access this.
“It will also benefit many others in the city, such as those who speak English as a second language and those who require clearer communication.
“We look forward to seeing the ongoing development of the easy read hub, and to further productive, joined-up working with Brighton & Hove City Council and all the other partners involved.”