Essential government information is now easier to understand as the Minns Labor Government delivers on its Easy Read election commitment \u2013 with NSW taking out national awards for information accessibility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Government communication can be complicated, but Easy Read cuts through the complexity with simplified language, large font sizes and images.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This can be particularly useful for the more than 150,000 people with intellectual disability in NSW, but it also benefits people with low literacy and those whose first language is not English.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Easy Read resources on the NSW Government website cover important topics like emergency services, fines and fees, housing, transport, and more. The Minns Labor Government has been working with the Council for Intellectual Disability and other stakeholders to collaborate and deliver on its commitment to inclusive government information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
NSW\u2019s pioneering approach has been recognised at the Australian Access Awards. Last year, the NSW Government won \u2018Website of the Year\u2019 and \u2018Government Website of the Year\u2019, and the coveted \u2018Accessibility Initiative of the Year\u2019 award was taken out by the Department of Communities and Justice\u2019s Accessibility Studio located in Parramatta.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Accessibility Studio is designed to test communication and address accessibility barriers before government services are launched. Staff use new technology and specialists to check ease of access for people with low vision, low English proficiency, and other accessibility needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Minns Labor Government has committed to ongoing expansion of information available in Easy Read through the State\u2019s new four-year Disability Inclusion Plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Making digital services accessible, inclusive and connected for everyone in NSW is also a key outcome of the NSW Digital Strategy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
See the Easy Read<\/a> section on the NSW Government website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Minister for Customer Service and Digital Government Jihad Dib said:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDigital inclusion is about more than just making sure people have internet access \u2013 it\u2019s about making sure nobody is left behind while we all navigate an increasingly digital world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cEssential government information should be accessible for everyone. Easy Read is about making sure more people can understand the services, support and opportunities available to them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cPeople across NSW can now more easily understand how to access information which can help them with things like going to hospital or applying for TAFE, as well as how to make informed decisions in their everyday life whether it be catching a bus or responding to a fine.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Minister for Disability Inclusion Kate Washington said:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cGovernment information can be difficult to understand, particularly for people with intellectual disability and low literacy. Our suite of Easy Read documents simplifies information so it\u2019s more accessible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBefore the last election we promised that we would make essential government information easier to understand \u2013 the Minns Labor Government is delivering on that promise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThis is just the beginning, we will continue to make NSW Government services and information more accessible because it will make our state fairer and stronger.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Department of Communities and Justice Secretary Michael Tidball said:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n “DCJ is committed to making its information and services accessible to everyone and Easy Read is a key part of that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “In addition to the central Easy Read Hub on the NSW Government website, DCJ has its own Easy Read Hub where people can search by topic: from information on courts, your rights and law to support for families, health and housing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “We’re also proud to have created the award-winning DCJ Accessibility Studio, where staff can get help from in-house experts to test and ensure their content is accessible for the public.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n Council for Intellectual Disability CEO Heath Dickens said:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cEasy Read makes information accessible to everyone. It removes unnecessary barriers so people can understand, engage and make informed decisions. When information is clear, people with intellectual disability are included and heard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cCID has worked closely with the Department of Communities and Justice and other NSW Government agencies to ensure people with intellectual disability can access and understand important information. We acknowledge and are encouraged by the work the NSW Government is doing to build foundations for a more inclusive community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhile there is still more to do, we look forward to continuing to work together to build on this progress.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Essential government information is now easier to understand as the Minns Labor Government delivers on its Easy Read election commitment \u2013 with NSW taking out national awards for information accessibility. Government communication can be complicated, but Easy Read cuts through the complexity with simplified language, large font sizes and images. This can be particularly useful … Continue reading “NSW leads the nation on accessible government information”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-40843","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-nswnews"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40843","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=40843"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40843\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":40844,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40843\/revisions\/40844"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=40843"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=40843"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=40843"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}