How to make easy read documents accessible

The images in easy read documents are there as a visual tool to help the user understand the text. Having alt text for an image read out by a screen reader would not support the user in the same way - and could even be confusing.

For this reason, you must:

• Make sure that any important information in the images is also included in the document text, and
• Mark the images as decorative. Microsoft Office explain how to mark images as decorative in a Word document.

Getting easy read images

You are responsible for sourcing appropriate easy read images for your content. The Digital Customer Experience Team don't subscribe to any easy read image libraries, so cannot provide easy read images. Some NCC services subscribe to photosymbols.com for their easy read images.

You need to be careful when selecting images. Make sure each image reflects what the text it accompanies is saying.

Read advice on choosing and using easy read images in:

• Change People's guide to creating easy read documents
• GOV.UK guidance on easy read