The Easy Read content type is an accessible way of communicating information. It provides a simple and easy way for people with an intellectual disability, or low literacy in English to understand content on nsw.gov.au. The content is displayed with a large image on the left, and text on the right. For more information, please see Easy Read accessibility technique.
Important: To ensure the content is created correctly, it must be developed in collaboration with an Easy Read vendor. Agency partners can obtain these services from vendors listed on buy.nsw.gov.au.
On this page
- Using Easy Read pages
- Create a new Easy Read page
- About Easy Read callout
- Adding headings on an Easy Read page
- Adding blocks on an Easy Read page
- Adding cards on an Easy Read page
- Adding a Quick Exit button on an Easy Read page
- See Easy Read live on nsw.gov.au
Using Easy Read pages
Do
- Seek guidance from an Easy Read vendor
- Use only the ‘Easy Read content block' and ‘Heading’ blocks for content pages
- Use only the ‘Easy Read cards' and ‘Heading’ blocks for navigation pages
- Use H2 style if a heading is required, and H3 only if necessary
- Bold complex words and provide definitions for them within the content
- Use 1 or 2 sentences in each Easy Read container
- Use images to reinforce the message
- Ensure that content is written at a reading level suitable for grades 4 to 6
- Include a Quick Exit button for content with sensitive information
Don't
- Don’t use H4 and H5 heading styles.
- Don’t use too many different text styles and components unless necessary – the intention of the page is to be as simple as possible.
- Don't use ‘Easy Read content blocks' with 'Easy Read cards’ blocks on the same page
Create a new Easy Read page
Follow the steps below to create a new Easy Read page for your site.
- Login to the CMS, then navigate to Manage > Content > Add content > Easy Read
- You will need to work through the following tabs: Content, Page, Media, Tags, Connections – to finish creating your page. Some fields are mandatory.
Title (mandatory)
- Use sentence case unless brand names or proper names are in use. No special characters. Try to aim for a maximum of 50 characters.
- The page title forms the end of the URL and appears in the breadcrumb and side navigation.
- The title displays as the H1 heading for the page and is the default meta title for SEO (Search Engine Optimisation).
Importance of page title (meta title) for SEO
The page title (also known as the meta title) is an important page elements for SEO.
- The page title is the text that appears in the browser tab and is also used as the main link text in search engine results pages (SERPs).
- It is the first thing the audience see when they come across your web page in search results.
- It is important to make sure that the page title accurately describes the content of the page and includes relevant keywords to help search engines understand what the page is about.
Summary (optional)
- The page summary will appear under the page title on the webpage.
- Try to keep it less than 170 characters in length.
- The summary is also the default meta description for SEO.
Importance of the page summary (meta description) for SEO
- The meta description is a brief summary of the content on the web page that appears below the page title in search results.
- It can influence click-through rates (CTR) from search results to your web page.
- A well-crafted meta description can entice users to click through to your page by providing a concise summary of the content, include relevant keywords, and highlighting the benefits of visiting your page.
Easy Read callout
- The callout will appear under the page title and summary on the webpage.
- The callout must always be shown for your content pages and is enabled by default in the CMS. however, if you want to exclude it from your navigational pages, you can do so by unticking the Display Easy Read callout box.
Short title (optional)
Use the short title field if you want to shorten your page title for Side Navigation and Breadcrumbs to prevent text wrapping for long page titles. Use sentence case. If no URL Slug is used, the short title will also modify the URL.
URL Slug (optional)
You can use the URL slug field to modify the end part of your URL. Use the URL slug to create a shorter, SEO-friendly URL and prevent duplication of words.
The URL slug will override the URL that is automatically generated from the page title.
The URL slug:
- must be lowercase
- must separate words with a - (hyphen)
- should include the page's primary keyword
- should not exceed 32 characters.
Hero image (optional)
- You can upload a Hero image if it supports the page content.
Easy Read PDF (optional)
- You can upload a PDF version of the page, which will appear under About Easy Read call out as a downloadable link with the title Download [Title tag of the file] ([File type][File size]) for example Download Easy Read Menopause info sheet print (PDF 5.3MB)
- The upload date will be shown as Current as of [Date Month Year] for example Current as of 22 August 2024
- There is no limit to the number of files you can upload.
Agency (mandatory)
- Start to type the name of the relevant Cluster or Agency in the Agency field and select from the drop down list.
- You can choose more than one agency however, the first Agency listed will be the main agency for the content and will receive the Google Analytics data for the page.
Audience (mandatory)
- You must select 1 or more audience types, that your content is relevant for.
Topic (mandatory)
- You must select at least 1 of the 20 main Topic tags, that is relevant to your content.
- The list of main topics can be found on the homepage.
Notes:
- Discuss with your team what tagging may be required if you are planning on creating lists with your pages.
- Tags are only used to group related content together and do not play a part in SEO.
Parent (optional)
- Start to type the title for the nominated Parent page for your new web page.
- The Parent you select will determine the URL structure and breadcrumb navigation at the top of the page.
Easy Read source (optional)
- You can link the source or original material of the Easy Read content, which will appear under About Easy Read call out as a clickable link.
- There is no limit to the number of source materials you can link, and these can be either internal or external links.
- Check In page navigation box if you want to show all available H2 on this page.
- The In page navigation is located at the top of content pages under the title and summary.
- Go to the right-hand side page menu > Governance > Editorial group.
- Select the Editorial group/s that will be responsible for keeping this new web page updated. You can choose more than one group.
About Easy Read callout
The Easy Read callout explains the Easy Read style, allows viewing of linked pages and PDF files in this format, and includes a print option.
- The Easy Read callout must always be shown for content pages. It can be excluded from navigation pages (for example topic landing page). For instruction on enabling the callout, refer to the Content tab.
- If the Easy Read page links to a source or original page, it will appear as a clickable link within the callout. For instructions on linking source material from the Easy Read content type, refer to the Connections tab.
- The option to print the page is always available as a clickable link displayed as Print this page. This cannot be configured by content authors.
- If a PDF version of the Easy Read content has been uploaded, it will appear as a downloadable item. For instructions on how to upload a PDF file from the Easy Read content type, refer to the Media tab.
Adding headings on an Easy Read page
- On the Content tab, select Add Heading button.
- Type in your descriptive heading and then select its Type. If you need a subheading which is not recommended, then select Heading 3. Do not use Heading 4 or Heading 5.
Adding blocks on an Easy Read page
- On the Content tab, select Add Easy Read content block item from the drop down list in the Add Heading button.
- Add an image which is mandatory by selecting Add media.
- You can use an image titled Related information when sharing additional resources related to the Easy Read content.
- We recommend that the image has a 3:2 aspect ratio. For more information, please refer to Using images on nsw.gov.au.
- Add text in the Body text which is mandatory.
- Apply formatting to text, such as bold and Italic (not recommended). Bold style is recommended to highlight difficult words, and a definition of those words should then be provided within the content as the next sentence or phrase.
- Add hyperlinks to internal and external pages.
- Add numbered or bullet lists.
If you want to group the Easy Read content blocks together, you can add a grouped block by selecting Add Easy Read content block item. This would mean that if you want to rearrange the content, you can move this entire group instead of individual Easy Read blocks. If you don’t want to group the content, simply add another block by selecting Add Easy Read content block.
Adding cards on an Easy Read page
Easy Read cards block should only be used exclusively with Heading blocks for navigation pages.
Avoid using Easy Read cards in conjunction with Easy Read content block on the same page. This practice helps prevent the page from becoming cluttered with various components that might confuse users.
- On the Content tab, select Add Easy Read cards button.
- Add an image which is mandatory by selecting Add media.
- You can use an image titled Related information when sharing additional resources related to the Easy Read content.
- We recommend that the image has a 3:2 aspect ratio. For more information, please refer to Using images on nsw.gov.au.
- Add a heading which is mandatory.
If you want to group the Easy Read cards together, you can add a grouped card by selecting Add Easy Read card. This would mean that if you want to rearrange the content, you can move this entire group instead of individual Easy Read cards. If you don’t want to group the content, simply add another card by selecting Add Easy Read cards.
Adding a Quick Exit Button on an Easy Read page
- Select Add Quick Exit button
- Enter the details for your button banner.
-
URL (mandatory): add a link to another page.
- A link can be internal path such as /node/add or external.
- Enter <front> to link to the front page.
- Enter <nolink> to display link text only.
- Enter <button> to display keyboard-accessible link text only.
- Link text (optional): the button text. Maximum 50 characters. Try to limit the button text to 2 to 4 words.
- Contextual information (optional): add clear and concise contextual information to the button. Use sentence case.
-
URL (mandatory): add a link to another page.
See Easy Read live on nsw.gov.au
Check out Easy Read for a demo of an Easy Read content page.
Check out Easy Read cards for a demo of an Easy Read navigational page.
You can also see live examples of how agencies have applied this component to their content below:
- Rapid antigen tests
- Paying Ambulance fees
- How to apply for a TAFE course
- COVID-19 Easy Read information and resources
Need any more help?
If you have any questions, or require assistance with anything mentioned in this article, submit a request via the webform.