People First has an Easy Read Translation Service, Make it Easy.

You can find more information on our new Make it Easy website.

Easy Read is way of presenting information for people with learning disability that is easier for people with learning disability to understand.

Documents translated into Easy Read are also very useful for people who:

  • have English as a second language
  • have low literacy levels
  • are older.

Easy Read has a certain style.  While documents can appear longer in Easy Read due to the need for clear space and relevant pictures to aid understanding, the amount of writing in a document will be less.

The words used in a document will also be:

  • consistent
  • acronym and jargon free
  • explained if they are hard to understand.

People First has translated information into Easy Read for places such as the Human Rights Commission, Auckland Council, the Ministry of Social Development and Disability Service Providers.

The People First Easy Read translation service has a 4-week turn-around minimum timeframe for completing translations. This can take less or more time, depending on how complex a document is.  There is a team of people who work on the documents as well as members who sight the documents and provide feedback and suggestions.

Contact us on (04) 381 3242 or [email protected] if you have a document you would like translated into Easy Read.

Examples of Easy Read documents

  • [download id=”1780″]
  • [download id=”1884″]
  • [download id=”1785″]
  • [download id=”1790″]
  • [download id=”1892″]

Testimonials

“I have worked closely with People First and Make it Easy service to implement the Accessibility Charter over the last three years. I have been impressed by the professionalism of the service and the commitment of those involved to meeting the needs of people with learning disabilities. The staff are committed to making sure that government agencies meet the information needs of people with learning disabilities in a format that speaks to them and enables people with disabilities to fully engaged in New Zealand society.”

Anne Hawker – Principal Disability Adviser, Ministry of Social Development

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“Providing a pathway for everyone to be included in our goal of creating a fairer and more inclusive Aotearoa New Zealand through Accessibility Legislation is paramount for the Access Alliance. This includes people for whom written English is a barrier. The amazing team at People First have provided Easy-Read versions of our key communications. This opens the door for people with learning disabilities, people for whom English is a second language and those who have not had access to adequate education to support literacy to participate as equals. The People first team are quick, efficient and responsive to our often tight timelines. They are also a pleasure to work with.”

Taryn Banks – Blind Low Vision NZ

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“Working with People First has been an insightful lesson in portraying our transport information differently. I initially did not know where to go to get Easy Read proof reading/editing and was able to contact some key groups who quickly pointed me in People First’s direction. The feedback and aid I received throughout the editing process was extremely valuable and I incorporated their suggestions with no second thought. Feedback given to me was clear and timely as we progressed through the work. I feel I have achieved my goal of producing quality, accessible documents for our most vulnerable community whilst working with People First- thank you so much.”

Leona Irsevic – Metlink

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“We needed Easy Read versions of our key messages to be available after a series of workshops, and approached People First. They were always delivered on time even with the pressures of very tight deadlines, i.e. a turnaround of 24 hours.  We were also impressed with the quality of the translations.  Despite some complex ideas and language, People First was able to translate the content into easy to understand information without losing the intent or purpose of the key messages – that is a real skill.  They were pleasant to deal with, quick to update any necessary changes, reliable and very professional.”

Sacha O’Dea – Programme Lead, System Transformation, Ministry of Health

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“I can advise that staff at the Office of the Ombudsman recently commissioned People First New Zealand to produce an Easy Read version of a Reasonable Accommodation Guide we published in our role as part of New Zealand’s Independent Monitoring Mechanism. We are extremely pleased with the final translation of the Reasonable Accommodation Guide.  It is clear that People First New Zealand has experience producing these types of publications, and is able to skilfully translate complex (and often legal) documents into a format that is straightforward. Staff at People First were also very attentive during the planning stage of our project so that they were able to achieve a complete understanding of the type of Easy Read document we required, and the most essential content.  The Easy Read document produced by People First is now publicly available and we have had a number of individuals, particularly those in the disability community, provide positive feedback on it.  We would recommend People First New Zealand for translations of any reports to Easy Read format and we intend to use their services for further translations in future.”

Simon Latimer – Senior Adviser Human Rights, Office of the Ombudsman

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“It is really important that our publications and information are accessible to all of Auckland’s citizens. I’ve used People First’s easy read translation service on a number of occasions. I’ve always found People First to be prompt and professional, and have really appreciated their assistance in ‘going that extra mile’ to help me meet short deadlines. Communication was easy, and I’ve always been really pleased with the product. As a result, I’ve recommended them to my colleagues and would happily recommend them to others. I’ve had very positive feedback from disabled and non-disabled people alike about the easy read version of our resources, and, on some occasions, it was the most requested format. Thanks to People First for helping us to improve our accessibility and inclusiveness.”

Tania Pouwhare – Auckland Council