Spot the Differences - Plain Language, Easy English, Easy Read explained.

Spot the Differences: Plain Language, Easy English, Easy Read explained.

Learn from the experts.

When:    Thursday, 5 Nvember 2026

Where:   Online via Zoom

Time:     11:30 am - 1:00 pm Melbourne time (AEST Australian Eastern Standard Time)

Cost:      $100 + gst

Easy Read is widely commissioned and appears across government, disability and community sectors. Some people with intellectual disability say they like it. But does it actually improve reading, understanding and use of information for the people it is designed to support?

Is popularity the same as effectiveness?

What does the published research tell us? What does clinical experience show? And how well does Easy Read meet the needs of a rnage of different adults with intellectual disability and the 44% of Australian adults who have low literacy?

This workshop explores the differences between Plain Language, Easy English and Easy Read, and examines which approaches are supported by evidence, guidleines which aply evideince and real-world practice in the community.

You'll leave with practical tools to help your organisation make informed decisions about accessible written communication.

Why attend?

Many organisations invest significant time and money producing accessible information without fully understanding the strengths and limitations of different communication styles.

This session will challenge common assumptions, explore the evidence behind current practice and introduce approaches that may be more effective, more inclusive and more universally accessible.

Learning objectives

Participants will:

• Understand the differences between Plain Language, Easy English and Easy Read

• Explore the research evidence for readability, comprehension and usability across different communication styles

• Examine Australian adult literacy rates and their implications for information access. (Evidence from other countries will be incorporated if you work in a different country)

• Learn about the ISO 24495-1 Plain Language Standard and which communication approaches align with it

• Gain practical tips and tools to improve the accessibility of written information

• Reflect on the communication needs of their own workplace and audiences

Who is this webinar valuable for?

• Any person who writes for the public

• Any person who writes for staff

• Any person who has a client, consumer or participant they engage with.

This workshop is limited to 25 participants.

Not sure if this training is right for you?

Find out more about Access Easy English and browse examples of our work at https://accesseasyenglish.com.au

Or Call Cathy Basterfield on 0466 579 855 or email cathy@accesseasyenglish.com.au 

Bookings

Confirm your registration and pay with a Credit Card using the Humanitix 'Get tickets' tab

or

Request an invoice for Accounts Payable. Email cathy@accesseasyenglish.com.au

Your trainer: Cathy is a trained speech pathologist, with nearly 40 years’ experience working with people with multiple and complex communication needs.

She has a national and international reputation in the development of Easy English.

Cathy is acknowledged by her peers as a highly experienced practitioner in the field of Easy English.

She is recognised as being at the forefront of the development of Easy English in Australia, being one of the first practitioners in this specialist field more than 20 years ago. This includes the development of quality standards and benchmarks for Easy English and writing the first and subsequent guidelines for writing Easy English.  This is the basis of quality evidence-based best-practice Easy English. Find out how it is different to Easy Read.  Cathy was involved in discussions on the Technical Standard 37 for Plain Language which preceded the practical guidance released last year.

Cathy was awarded a Victorian Government Ethel Temby scholarship for an investigative study into international trends and accreditation for Easy English writing and publications in 2011. Cathy is a published author,  an invited plenary speaker and a regular presenter at many national and international conferences on this subject matter.

Cathy and her team are recognised for their Easy English work with multiple national and international awards:

• Australian Enablement Award 2026, 2022 - Most Outstanding Communicator in the NDIS Sector in Australia

• International Zero Project Shortlist for 2023

• International Global Award 2022 – Most Outstanding Communicator for People with Disability in the World

• APAC Insider Small Business Award 2022 for our Easy English training

• Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI ) – COVIDSafe Business Community Award Finalist 2022. For our pro bono COVID19 content development.

See more at www.accesseasyenglish.com.au