In the heart of every care home lies a fundamental mission: to provide compassionate, person-centred care. This commitment is not only ethical, but it's also a cornerstone of regulatory compliance, particularly with bodies such as the UK's Care Quality Commission (CQC).

Even if you understand the need to make information more accessible by transforming complex information into clear, simple language with pictures in documents and signs, it turns out that there are people out there who need even more help.

When you think about accessibility, what comes to mind? For many, it's about ramps, braille, or perhaps specific software for disabled people. But what if we told you that the real problem often isn't the individual, but the way society is designed? This is the core of the Social Model of Disability.

In today's relentlessly competitive market, every business is looking for an edge. We all pour resources into marketing, lead generation, and sales funnels, all aiming to expand our reach and boost revenue.

Your clients—especially large firms and institutions—are increasingly expected to meet high standards of accessibility and inclusion.

At IC Works, we’ve always designed Easy Read for people with cognitive and language processing challenges. Recently, we’ve noticed something interesting: more people than ever are finding Easy Read helpful—people who may not have learning disabilities, may not use assistive services, and may never have used Easy Read before.

At IC Works, we work with organisations that care about accessibility. More often than not, those organisations have already made real efforts — step-free entrances, ramps, handrails, accessible toilets, and clear routes through public spaces. The physical side of accessibility is on the agenda. And rightly so.

If you’ve ever tried to make a piece of information truly clear for someone with cognitive or language processing challenges, you’ll know it’s not as simple as ‘making it shorter’ or ‘using plain English’.

When organizations create Easy Read documents, they often assume that simply simplifying the text—shorter sentences, clearer words, and added images—makes the information accessible. But time and time again, we see well-meaning attempts at simplification that still confuse people. Why?

When people think of Easy Read documents, they often assume they should be childlike, as if simplifying language automatically means simplifying the reader. But here’s the reality: Easy Read is for adults; the topics covered in Easy Read are for adults; people reading Easy Read deserve to be treated as adults.

At IC Works, we know that Easy Read documents should be clear, accessible, and respectful. But too often, Easy Read materials rely on cartoonish imagery and child-like design choices—a style that many assume is necessary but can actually feel patronising to the adults who rely on these documents.

It's been a busy month or so at Easy Read Towers with Easy Read projects for Hillingdon Council and West Berkshire Council.

Working with Jayne Carter and her daughter Nikki. we produced an Easy Read version of several tender documents.