With the entry into force of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2008, a legal obligation of signatory states regarding the provision of accessible information was established at the international level. One of the important ways in which institutions can ensure more accessible communication and information is the adaptation of texts, which also includes the concept of easy-to-read. Easy-to-read refers to the planned and structured adaptation of texts through linguistic, content-related and visual simplifications. The adaptations are based on clearly defined guidelines and take into account the needs of specific target groups of users who require a simplified written form in order to understand information. Easy-to-read is intended for individuals who require text adaptations permanently or temporarily for various reasons — either due to a change in the linguistic environment or due to various cognitive or sensory barriers. With regard to the target groups, Speech and Language Therapists and Deaf and Hard of Hearing Teachers are precisely those professionals who, in clinical practice, often work with individuals with limited understanding of written information and reduced language comprehension, which is why the principles of the concept of easy-to-read could represent an important professional tool for adapting texts and improving the accessibility of information. Despite this direct connection, there is a lack of systematic empirical data in Slovenia on the level of formal and informal familiarity with the concept of easy-to-read among Speech and Language Therapists and/or Deaf and Hard of Hearing Teachers, or on the extent of its actual implementation in clinical practice.
The aim of the master’s thesis was to investigate the level of familiarity of Speech and Language Therapists and Deaf and Hard of Hearing Teachers in Slovenia with the concept of easy-to-read and to determine to what extent and in what way they include it in their clinical practice. The aim of the research was also directed towards examining differences in the use of easy-to-read with regard to professional profile, work experience, clinical contexts and target groups of users, as well as identifying barriers that influence the use of the concept in clinical practice.
The research showed that the concept of easy-to-read is relatively well recognised among the surveyed Speech and Language Therapists and Deaf and Hard of Hearing Teachers in Slovenia, with respondents expressing positive attitudes towards the concept. At present, however, familiarity with the concept does not necessarily yet translate into in-depth knowledge and confident or routine use of the concept in practice. Easy-to-read is used mainly occasionally, most often in the therapeutic and educational context, with the aim of improving the understanding of information, adapting therapeutic materials and supporting learning. The main barriers to more frequent implementation of easy-to-read in clinical practice are not related to doubts about its professional relevance or effectiveness, but primarily to a lack of time for preparing materials or training, as well as a lack of relevant existing materials in easy-to-read.
The master’s thesis provides insight into the familiarity with and use of the concept of easy-to-read among speech and language therapists and Deaf and Hard of Hearing Teachers in Slovenia, thereby offering a starting point for the further development of the field, particularly in the direction of broader and more frequent implementation of a concept that contributes to improving the accessibility of information.
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