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Ways to upload a file and make a link
Use the Media Library button to add a file:
- Select the tab for "Document" to upload PDFs and Word documents.
- Make sure to fill in the "Description" field! This will be what shows to the public instead of the default filename. For accessibility, make sure to include the file extension in the title, like this: "My File (pdf)"
See the examples below for what a file looks like with a description (first link) and without (second link):
Easy Read
Easy Read combines text with layout and imagery to simplify and explain information. Users often print Easy Read materials. The standard layout works as a handout.
Guidance
- Create Easy Read to broaden access
- Identify user needs
- Engage Easy Read experts
- Design and publish materials to download
- Plan the structure
- Keep text simple
- Involve others as you draft
- Follow a standard Easy Read layout
- Provide context
- Release notes
- About this page
- Help us improve Style Manual
Identify user needs
Before starting, make sure you do research with people who will use the information. Find out how they will access the materials – in print, online or with support from others.
Not everyone will find Easy Read useful: check the findings from your user research. You might find people prefer other formats, such as video or a webpage.
Engage Easy Read experts
It is best to engage Easy Read experts. They will know how to research and communicate with specific user groups.
They will also have expertise on design. Easy Read professionals are experienced in connecting language and imagery to help users understand and consume information.
They will also have expertise on design. Easy Read professionals are experienced in connecting language and imagery to help users understand and consume information.
Design and publish materials to download
Design your Easy Read materials as a printed handout to be used by people in several scenarios. For example, employers, support workers, family or carers might use the materials to talk something through with people who need to use the information.
Make Easy Read materials available in addition to any source material they are derived from. Publish them in HTML and as an accessible PDF at the same time as the source material.
Users need to be able to print or download the Easy Read version from the same site as the source material.
Print considerations
Publishing Easy Read as a PDF means it may be read online or printed. When you have links in the materials, you need to:
- provide clear link text and make sure it looks like a link
- spell out the URL next to the linked text.
Accessibility considerations
User needs:
I can follow the design, structure and language of the content.
Fundamentals:
- Follow W3C updates on making content usable for people with cognitive and learning disabilities.
- Make the structure of Easy Read PDFs accessible to help people who will need to download them from the website.
- Make all government content accessible to people with disability. This includes providing information that is timely, which is part of Australian law under the Disability Discrimination Act 1992.
Guidance on EPUB and PDF accessibility:
- Overview of the EPUB specification
- EPUB accessibility
- PDF techniques for WCAG 2.0 – W3C
- General techniques for WCAG 2.0 – W3C
- Accessibility for Adobe Acrobat – Adobe
- Accessibility for Adobe InDesign – Adobe
Keep text simple
Easy Read follows some plain language principles – such as using simple words and sentences – but Easy Read and plain language are different.
| Easy Read | Plain language |
|---|---|
| Focus is on simplicity | Focus is on clarity |
| Text and images carry the meaning | Text carries the meaning |
| Large font size | Standard font size |
| Often, another person reads the content to the intended user | Content is read by the intended user |
Check your content reads between a year 4 to year 6 reading level. Use simple words and grammar, but don’t use childish language if the users are adults.
Difficult words
Some important words might be hard for people to read and understand. A difficult word might have 3 or more syllables.
- If you need to use a difficult word, write it in bold.
- Define the difficult word in the next sentence or phrase.
- If you have defined a lot of words, include a glossary at the end of your document. Call it a word list.