What is Easy Language?
Easy Language is a simplified form of standard language, a resource that aims to make information more accessible to individuals with different levels of language proficiency or cognitive abilities. It is a right guaranteed by the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), approved in December 2006. Vocabulary, sentence structure and overall presentation are simplified to make written and spoken communication easier to understand.
It is therefore a tool that promotes inclusion and strengthens the rights of groups that are normally left out of the information cycle.
Easy Language is not a recent phenomenon – for over 60 years it has been used around the world to make information accessible to people with temporary or permanent difficulties in understanding language in its standard form.
The aim of Easy Language is to facilitate participation and avoid exclusion. It is one tool among others, such as Braille, sign language or audio description: it reduces barriers and makes communication accessible. It “removes obstacles in the same way as a wheelchair ramp built next to stairs” (Lindholm and Vanhatalo, 2021, p.12).
Who is Easy Language intended for?
Although, as regards who Easy Language is intended for, practices in different European Countries may differ, in general the target groups include:
People with Cognitive impairments:
- Developmental disabilities.
- Memory disorders.
People with Learning Disabilities:
- Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), or autism spectrum disorders.
- Functional illiteracy.
Opinions are somewhat divided when it comes to Easy Language for:
Foreign language speakers:
- Immigrants and non-native speakers who may find the standard language difficult.
Children:
- Although they are not usually the main target group, Easy Language can be beneficial in contexts such as legal documents or medical instructions.
The General Public, in specific situations:
- Adults facing situational variation (for example, fatigue, illness or accidents)
Easy Language aims to guarantee equal access to information and promote social inclusion, regardless of one’s communication skills, bringing benefits to everyone.
Terminology issues
As Easy Language is a multidisciplinary subject, it is inevitable that there will be terminological variations in different national and international contexts, such as ‘easy-to-read language’, ‘easy-read’, and ‘clear language’. What is certain is that this term, Easy Language, has ended up encompassing many different things, highlighting the need for terminological harmonisation in the area.
Given that the notion of Easy Language has been widely mistaken for Clear Language, it is important to distinguish between the two:
As per the definition you can find at the International Plain Language Federation
“A communication is in plain language if its wording, structure, and design are so clear that the intended readers can easily find what they need, understand what they find, and use that information.”
Let’s see how to distinguish Easy Language from Plain Language.
| Plain Language | Easy Language | |
| Purpose | It aims to improve the comprehension of official documents, making them more user-friendly and reducing misinterpretation. | Its aim is to make it easier for people who have difficulties with standard language to understand it, promoting inclusion and accessibility. |
| Target audience | It is intended for the general public, especially to make legal and institutional documents more straightforward for non-professionals to understand. | Designed specifically for individuals with reading difficulties, including those with cognitive impairments or limited literacy skills. |
| Complexity | It simplifies complex language but can still use standard structures and vocabulary that may be complicated for some readers. | Generally, more simplified than Plain Language. It often includes additional writing guidelines, such as shorter sentences and a more explicit structure. |
| Writing guidelines | Focused on clarity and conciseness, often providing guidelines for simplifying legal terms and complex phrases. | It includes specific rules, such as starting each sentence on a new line, using common words and avoiding jargon or technical terms. |
| Usage context | Mainly used in public writing, including government documents, contracts and legal texts. | Commonly used in contexts such as health information, educational materials, fiction and non-fiction literature, and resources for people with disabilities. |
Although both Plain Language and Easy Language aim to improve communication and understanding, they have different target audiences and employ varying degrees of simplification and specific guidelines.
- Easy Language focuses on making information accessible for individuals with significant reading challenges, including those with intellectual disabilities, low education levels, or limited language proficiency. It aims for maximum simplicity using short sentences, basic vocabulary, and visual elements to help enhance understanding.
- Plain Language aims to make information easier to understand for a broader audience by removing difficult words, complex sentences, and confusing structures. The goal is to help anyone quickly grasp the content, even if they have no prior knowledge of the subject. This approach has received official recognition through ISO 24495:2023 – Part I, a voluntary technical standard created through consensus among Plain Language experts.
In short, while Easy Language is essentially an adaptation for specific audiences, Plain Language improves communication for everyone.
References:
Almeida, P. (Coord.). (2024). Simples assim, comunique com todo o mundo (2ª ed.). Cromosso 21.
ELIN Network. (2024, setembro 6). Lebenshilfe-Hamburg is evaluating AI’s capability to simplify complex texts…. (Facebook post) https://www.facebook.com/ELINnetwork/
International Plain Language Federation. (2025, February 17). Plain language. https://www.iplfederation.org/plain-language/
Lindholm, C., & Vanhatalo, U. (Eds.). (2021). Handbook of easy languages in Europe. Frank & Timme. https://library.oapen.org/handle/20.500.12657/52628