The Easy Read Toolbox

17/09/2025

Inclusion Tip of the Week: Use Sans Fonts

When creating accessible and inclusive content, font choice can make all the difference.

Sans fonts like Arial, Helvetica, and Verdana are clean, simple, and easier to read because they don’t have decorative “tails” (serifs) at the ends of letters.

This clarity helps your audience:
- Focus on the words
- Understand information faster
- Engage with content without confusion

Make your message clear, inclusive, and impactful.
👉 Ready to level up your accessible communication?
https://www.easyreadtoolbox.info/inclusive-communications-management

Image: An Ibis with a speech bubble ‘Instead of this font’ and a Marsupial Rat with a speech bubble ‘use this font’

16/09/2025

Are you ready to join the Inclusion Revolution?

The Easy Read Toolbox produces a monthly email newsletter packed full of tips for inclusive communication, exclusive offers for subscribers, news and upcoming events and so much more.

Who is this for?

✅ Organisations or Government bodies seeking to convert important documents into Easy Read.
✅ Social media managers looking for tips on writing inclusive communications.
✅ Health practitioners looking to provide Easy Read documents to patients.
✅ Anyone who values access and inclusion or just wants to keep up to date with what we’re doing!

If you’re ready to embark on an inclusive journey with us, get onto the mailing list and we’ll send you our FREE Accessible Communication & Easy Read introduction booklet.

Join the inclusion revolution here: https://www.easyreadtoolbox.info/get-started

Image: Illustration of a laptop. text reads: Subscribe and join the inclusion revolution. Becoming a member, you receive: a Free resource, event and workshop announcements, updates from the team and opportunites to work together.

15/09/2025

The Easy Read Toolbox is a certified social enterprise through Social Traders Australia.

But what is a social enterprise?

Here are some things you might not know about us:

- At least 80% of our team live with disabilities, and we pay award or above wages.
- We design our workplace around strengths, diversity, and intersectionality, proving productivity thrives in inclusive environments.
- Our mission is simple: to make vital information accessible so that everyone can exercise their human rights.

Social enterprise is business for good and we believe that’s how all business should be.

👉 Read our latest blog to learn more about how The Easy Read Toolbox is creating impact:
https://www.easyreadtoolbox.info/we-are-a-social-enterprise-what-does-it-mean

The ERT is a social enterprise. Our business uses its funds to make a social impact and improve the lives of people with disability and neurodivergence.

12/09/2025

Pictures aren’t just decoration, they’re powerful tools.

They help people understand, remember, and connect with your message.

That’s why we’ve built an Image Bank with over 3,000 photos and illustrations, created to make your content clearer and more inclusive.

With our monthly subscription at just $27.50 a month, you get:
✅ Regularly updated images so your content stays fresh
✅ Pictures designed for Easy Read, social media, websites, and reports
✅ Ready-to-use visuals that save you time and effort

Along with templates, a mini-course, word list and more easy-read benefits!

Most of our images are created by disabled artists, so every subscription also supports the disability community. 💜

Check out our subscription options and start today: https://www.easyreadtoolbox.info/

Slide 1: 8 examples of the image packs we have on offer. Text: Inclusive images for all your communication needs
Slide 2: A wheelchair user holding a sign that reads “subscribe to day, for just $27.50 a month”.

11/09/2025

Today is R U OK? Day 💛

R U OK? Day is about checking in with people.

Sometimes people feel sad, stressed, or alone.

A small question like “Are you OK?” can make a big difference.

How to start:
Find a quiet place to talk
Ask “Are you OK?”
Listen with care
Encourage them to get help if they need it

You don’t need to fix their problems. Just showing you care is powerful.

Let’s look out for each other today and every day. 💛

👉 If you or someone you know needs help, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14.

Image:
Illustration of two figures talking — “Ask R U OK?”
Illustration of two figures — “Listen”
Illustration of two figures walking — “Encourage action”
Illustration of two figures cooking — “Check in”
Text: Ask R U OK? It can make a big difference.

09/09/2025

“Disability is not a dirty word.”

At The Easy Read Toolbox, our aim is to spread awareness, understanding, and respect for people with disability.

Too often, society treats the word “disability” as something negative, making assumptions about how someone works, lives, or takes part in the community.

It’s time to recognise that outdated stereotypes and assumptions are no longer acceptable.

To help drive our Inclusion revolution, we've released our new range of T-shirts, perfect for disability pride month.

Head over to our shop linked in the bio.

Image: A model wearing one of our T-shirts. The shirt shows our model Tianne, photographed by our GM Ladina, holding a sign: disability is not a dirty word. text reads: Show your support today!

07/09/2025

We’re excited to share that The Easy Read Toolbox will be at the 16th Annual National Disability Summit in 2025!

We’ll be joining leaders and providers to talk about inclusion, access, and the future of disability support.

👋 Will we see you there?

Image: Photo of a recent stall. Text: National Disability Summit, 18-19 September 2025. Get your tickets here! Sitting with a QR code.

04/09/2025

Struggling to make complex information clear and accessible?

You’re not alone. Many organisations face tight deadlines, limited expertise, and the pressure of meeting accessibility requirements.

At The Easy Read Toolbox, we offer Custom Easy Read Writing Services so your organisation can deliver clear, inclusive communication without the extra workload.

Partnering with us means:

✅ Custom documents created by our experienced writers in Easy Read, Easy English, and plain language
✅ Optional custom image banks to match your documents
✅ Review by our Feedback Group, people with cognitive disabilities who ensure your content is truly accessible

By working with our disability-led social enterprise, you’re not only meeting accessibility standards, you’re showcasing your commitment to inclusion and equity.

📩 Ready to make your communication clear and inclusive? Let’s talk.

https://www.easyreadtoolbox.info/custom-writing

Image: An individual reading an accessible document while patting their service dog. Text: Is your information accessible? We understand your needs, we convert your documents, we get feedback on accessibility from those with lived experience.

03/09/2025

At The Easy Read Toolbox, we specialise in Easy Read writing. This helps make information clear, simple, and accessible for people with cognitive disabilities, low literacy, or those learning English.

But we know this comes with a limitation: people who don’t speak English are left out. That means some communities may still struggle to access important information, even in Easy Read.

We believe accessibility should be for everyone, not just English speakers.

📩 If you want to change this and make Easy Read available in other languages, we want to hear from you.

Image: Video of The Easy Read Toolbox Founder Karen Hedley, expressing the need for Easy Read writing for languages other than English.

02/09/2025

📣 We’re excited to announce that The Easy Read Toolbox has been invited to exhibit at the Social Traders Enterprise Showcase!

We can’t wait to leave our mark in Melbourne. From inclusive communication to accessible resources, we’re passionate about making information easier to understand and empowering for people with disability.

Want to talk about how Easy Read can support better service delivery, build capacity, and strengthen self-advocacy? Come find us at the summit!

🗓 Hosted in Melbourne on September 16, we can’t wait to meet you all.

Image: Photo of a recent stall. Text: Will we see you in Melbourne this September?

01/09/2025

Did you know 44% of Australian adults have low literacy?

That’s roughly 7.3 million people who read at or below primary school level. Low literacy limits life chances, affects workforce participation, and creates real social and economic disadvantages.

Why this matters for communication:
- Many adults struggle to understand complex documents, from government forms to service information
- Low literacy is often hidden due to stigma, meaning many people don’t ask for help
- Around one-third of school children are not reading proficiently, showing this is an ongoing societal issue

Here’s where Easy Read writing helps:

It uses simple words and short sentences, includes supportive images to explain key points, structures information clearly so people can find what they need quickly, and reduces confusion while empowering people to take action.
Accessibility is more than compliance, it’s about the people it impacts.

📩 Learn how Easy Read can make your documents inclusive and actionable: https://www.easyreadtoolbox.info/get-started

Image: Illustration of a large group of diverse people. Text: 1 in 3 Australians can’t read above a primary school level.

28/08/2025

What happens when accessibility meets artificial intelligence?

At The Easy Read Toolbox, we’re thrilled to announce our new collaboration with the Australian Artificial Intelligence Institute to develop an app that uses large language models (like ChatGPT and CoPilot) to help translate content into Easy Read.

Why does this matter?

🌍 More people will have access to information they can truly understand.
🤖 Technology can make inclusive communication faster and more efficient.
💡 It’s a game-changer for government, business, and community sectors.

👉 Read the full story here: https://www.easyreadtoolbox.info/exciting-new-collab-with-australian-artificial-intelligence-institute

How do you see AI shaping the future of accessibility?

Join the inclusion revolution with The Easy Read Toolbox. Our disability-led social enterprise offers accessible Easy Read resources, custom writing services, workshops, and inclusive communications management to empower organisations in creating clear, inclusive content.