If you’ve ever tried to make a piece of information truly clear for someone with cognitive or language processing challenges, you’ll know it’s not as simple as ‘making it shorter’ or ‘using plain English’.

We recently read the brilliant Design in Government blog post “Easy read is hard to get right”, and we honestly couldn’t agree more.

At IC Works, we specialise in turning complex documents into Easy Read versions. The Easy Read documents are designed to be clear, structured, and accessible for people with learning disabilities, cognitive impairments, or lower literacy levels.

When organizations create Easy Read documents, they often assume that simply simplifying the text—shorter sentences, clearer words, and added images—makes the information accessible. But time and time again, we see well-meaning attempts at simplification that still confuse people. Why?

When people think of Easy Read documents, they often assume they should be childlike, as if simplifying language automatically means simplifying the reader. But here’s the reality: Easy Read is for adults; the topics covered in Easy Read are for adults; people reading Easy Read deserve to be treated as adults.

Most of us don’t think twice about reading. We skim news articles, check emails, and follow instructions without struggling.

But for millions of people, reading is exhausting, frustrating, or downright impossible.

When it comes to Easy Read materials, what kind of images make the biggest difference?

According to Shaun Webster MBE, a member of our Experts by Experience panel at IC Works, the answer is clear:

“I really like photos best because they show real things and real people. They are much easier for people with a learning disability like me to understand than a drawing.”

Co-production is a term that gets thrown around a lot in the world of Easy Read document creation. Many services claim to involve ‘experts by experience’—people with lived experience of learning difficulties, autism, or language comprehension challenges—but often, their role is limited to checking pre-prepared documents rather than shaping them from the start.

At IC Works, we know that Easy Read documents should be clear, accessible, and respectful. But too often, Easy Read materials rely on cartoonish imagery and child-like design choices—a style that many assume is necessary but can actually feel patronising to the adults who rely on these documents.

Let’s talk about the big, awkward question: Can AI turn formal documents into Easy Read? The answer is tricky. It’s not a simple yes or no—it’s more like no, but also yes, sort of. AI isn’t about to take over the entire Easy Read process, but it does have a role to play, especially at the preliminary transcription stage. Let me explain.