Easy News special: accessible report about 2014 Budget
Author: Rachel
• Monday, March 24th, 2014
The Budget is a hugely important part of British politics and also one of the most inaccessible. Every year the Chancellor delivers an array of changes to spending policies, which can have a big impact on people’s lives but which can also be very difficult to understand. This is especially true for people with learning disabilities as many find it hard to absorb complex information. A survey of people supported by United Response found that only 11% felt it was easy to understand what politicians say. One person commented that “I do not understand what [politicians] are saying as it is not in simple language.”
We feel strongly that people with learning disabilities should have access to the same information as everyone else. The intention behind Easy News has always been to make the news more accessible for people with learning disabilities, who are so often excluded from debates just because information isn’t presented in an easy to understand way. As our recent survey of readers has shown, 90% find the magazine easier to understand than traditional newspapers or TV news sources.
MPs are already debating the new policies outlined in the Budget and on Tuesday will be discussing the new welfare cap before voting on the new measure on Wednesday. It’s an issue which is likely to be of real importance for people with learning disabilities as many rely on support from benefits such as Disability Living Allowance, Personal Independence Payment and Housing Benefit. However, without accessible information, many people will be unaware of the changes and won’t be able to tell politicians what they think.
This is why we created a special edition of Easy News to report on the Budget and give people with learning disabilities the information they need to join the debate. You can download a copy of this special edition of Easy News here. Providing accessible information about the news is a big step towards making sure that people with learning disabilities are able to speak out on issues which are important to them – just like everyone else. We hope you’ll share this special edition with as many people as possible.
Rachel Bowen, Campaigns Officer
