How to make easy read documents accessible
Use Word to create easy read documents
You should aim to create easy read documents in Microsoft Word. This is because Word has several tools and formatting functions that help you create accessible documents.
This guide includes instructions on how to use Word to make sure your easy read document is accessible, then convert it to an accessible PDF.
Other applications
People sometimes use other applications to create easy read documents. For example, PowerPoint or Adobe InDesign. Easy read trainers often suggest using PowerPoint to create easy read documents.
However, it can be very difficult to create an accessible easy read document using PowerPoint or InDesign. You should only do this if you have the skills and software to:
- Create the document following this guide
- Convert the document to a PDF
- Accessibility check the PDF and fix any issues you find using Adobe Acrobat Pro. You should use our How to make PDFs accessible guide to help you do this
If you create your easy read document using an application other than Word, the Digital Customer Experience Team can accessibility check the PDF for you. They will tell you if it has any accessibility issues. However, it is your responsibility to fix any accessibility issues using Acrobat Pro. If you can't fix them, they will recommend you recreate your document in Word instead.
