Innovative project to improve access to council information

04 February 2026

Some of the volunteers from the LIVE team who are helping with the project

People with learning disabilities and autism are set to take part in an innovative new project to help “break down barriers” and make it easier to access council information.

North Northamptonshire Council has launched a new initiative involving individuals with lived experience of disabilities to develop Easy-Read documents to level the playing field and help keep people more informed.

Easy Read is a way of making written information easier to understand usually combining short, jargon-free sentences with simple, clear images to help explain the content.

Not only can it support people with a learning disability access information, it can also support people who speak English as a second language, people who find it hard to read and write, people who have memory problems, or people who are in a hurry or are stressed.

There are currently about 50 people with learning disabilities and autism supported by the council’s Learning Independence Volunteering Employment (LIVE) team, which helps them build independence, learn skills, volunteer, find paid work, and achieve personal goals.

The project will invite these individuals, known as Experts by Experience, to help convert council documents into Easy Read formats.

Cllr Eddie McDonald, Deputy Leader and Executive Member for Adults and Health Partnerships, said: 

Up until now, we’ve not really had a consistent approach to creating Easy Read documents, so we’re delighted to be working with people in North Northamptonshire who have genuine insight into creating information that is fully accessible to all our residents. If people find leaflets, documents or other council information difficult to understand, it can lead to a lack of engagement which means people can miss payments or benefits they’re entitled to, or get into debt. It can really limit opportunities, including the chance to find employment. This project will break down barriers and help people make more informed choices, which can lead to life-changing opportunities.

The LIVE team will now be working with colleagues across the council to identify documents which would benefit from an Easy Read format. It is also hoped that, in the future, the team may be able to offer the service out to other local organisations and businesses.

Find out more about North Northamptonshire Council’s LIVE team and how to get involved on the council’s website.