Plain Language vs Easy Read Documents: Which One Does Your Audience Need?
Plain language makes the main version of a text clear for a broad audience and follows ISO 24495-1. Easy read documents are separate, strongly simplified versions for people with intellectual disabilities or serious reading difficulties, written to dedicated easy-to-read guidelines and checked by readers from that group. DEMA Solutions produces both, in several languages, and helps you decide which one each document needs.
Who this guide is for
This guide is for the people who have to turn “our information must be accessible” into a concrete brief: communication, compliance and customer-information managers, HR managers who publish policies, and the teams at public bodies, utilities, banks, insurers and manufacturers that write for the general public. Usually someone has said a document is too hard to read, and you must decide whether that calls for a rewrite of the original or for an additional, simplified version.
The two approaches are often confused, partly because the names differ by language. In German, Einfache Sprache is plain language and Leichte Sprache is easy-to-read; in Italian, linguaggio chiaro or linguaggio semplice is plain language and lettura facile or easy to read is easy-to-read; in Spanish, lenguaje claro is plain language and lectura fácil is easy-to-read. In English you will also see “Easy Read”, “easy-to-read” and “Easy Language”. This guide uses “plain language” and “easy read” throughout and points out where the national terms matter.
What plain language is
Plain language is a way of writing in which the wording, the structure and the design are so clear that the intended readers can easily find what they need, understand what they find and use that information. That is, in substance, the definition used by the international standard ISO 24495-1:2023, Plain language, Part 1: Governing principles and guidelines. Germany has adopted it as DIN ISO 24495-1, and in 2024 DIN added DIN 8581-1, which sets out language-specific rules for applying plain language to German. How those principles translate into practical steps for contracts, letters and manuals is covered in our guide to the ISO 24495-1 plain language standard.
The standard is built on four principles. Information must be relevant, so readers get what they need for the task in front of them and nothing that buries it. It must be findable, with headings, order and layout that lead readers to the right place quickly. It must be understandable, with sentences, terminology and explanations that do not cost readers unnecessary effort. And it must be usable, so readers can act on the information without asking someone else what it means.
Two features distinguish plain language from easy read. First, it normally improves the main version of a document, the contract, letter or policy that everyone receives, rather than producing a second version. Second, it keeps the necessary content. A plain-language insurance policy still contains every exclusion; the difference is that a reader can find and understand it. Technical terms can remain when they are explained or placed where their meaning is clear, which is why plain language suits professional and consumer audiences alike.
What easy read documents are
Easy read documents are versions of information that have been adapted much further, so that people with intellectual disabilities, learning difficulties or other significant reading and comprehension difficulties can understand them on their own. The German Leichte Sprache, the Italian lettura facile and the Spanish lectura fácil all describe this kind of text.
Easy read follows conventions that would feel unusual in a business document. Sentences are short and carry one idea each. Words are everyday words, and an unavoidable difficult word is explained. Information the reader does not need is left out, so an easy read version is selective by design. Layout is part of the method: a larger, clear font, generous spacing, left-aligned text, each sentence on a new line, numbers as digits and pictures next to the text they support.
The most important difference is that easy read is checked by its readers. The European guidelines published by Inclusion Europe, Information for all, expect people with intellectual disabilities to be involved in making and checking the text, and the easy-to-read logo is meant only for documents that follow them. A document is not easy read because a writer thinks it is simple; it is easy read when people from the target group have confirmed they understand it.
Plain language vs easy read: the main differences
The simplest way to compare the two is to look at what each one is for. Plain language serves readers who can read ordinary texts but should not have to work hard to do so, which is almost everyone. Easy read serves readers for whom ordinary texts, even good ones, remain out of reach.
| | Plain language | Easy read |
|—|—|—|
| Main audience | The general public, customers, employees, non-native speakers | People with intellectual disabilities, learning difficulties, dementia or aphasia, and others with very limited reading skills |
| Result | Usually the main version, improved | Usually an additional, separate version |
| Content | All necessary information kept | Selected essential information only |
| Reference documents | ISO 24495-1:2023; in Germany also DIN 8581-1 | Inclusion Europe guidelines; ISO/IEC 23859:2023; DIN SPEC 33429 in Germany; UNE 153101 EX in Spain |
| Testing | Recommended, often with typical readers or usability tests | Expected: validation by readers from the target group |
| Typical length | Similar to or shorter than the original | Often longer per idea, but covers fewer ideas |
The comparison also explains why the two are not competitors. Many organisations need both: a plain-language version as the standard document, and an easy read version of the parts that matter most to readers with the greatest difficulties, such as how to apply for a service, what a contract means for them, or what to do in an emergency.
Standards and guidelines for easy-to-read and plain language
For plain language, the reference point is now international. ISO 24495-1:2023 defines the principles and guidelines and applies to any language. National guidance continues to exist, and in Germany DIN 8581-1 adds language-specific detail, for example on sentence length and word choice in German.
For easy read, there are several layers of easy-to-read guidelines. Inclusion Europe’s Information for all sets out European standards that have been translated into many languages, including Italian, German and Spanish, and they remain the common basis across the EU. ISO/IEC 23859:2023 gives language-neutral requirements and recommendations on making written text easy to read and understand, including the process of creating, adapting and evaluating it. In Germany, DIN SPEC 33429:2025-03, Empfehlungen für Deutsche Leichte Sprache, published in March 2025, collects recommendations for writing, translating and designing texts and images in Leichte Sprache, including the participation of people with learning difficulties, and is intended to support quality assurance and tenders. In Spain, UNE 153101:2018 EX sets out guidelines and recommendations for producing easy-to-read documents, and its companion UNE 153102:2018 EX is a guide for the validators who check them.
A DIN SPEC or a UNE EX document is a voluntary technical document, not a law. Their value for a buyer is practical: you can name them in a brief or a tender, and a supplier can show how its work meets them.
Who needs which: target groups
Plain language helps nearly every reader, but some groups benefit in particular: customers who read contracts and letters under stress, employees who read procedures in their second language, older readers, readers with dyslexia, and busy specialists who simply want the answer. If you publish customer information, policies or instructions for a broad audience, plain language is the baseline.
Easy read is for a narrower group with greater needs. The core audience is people with intellectual disabilities and learning difficulties. Easy read also helps people with dementia or aphasia after a stroke, people with very low literacy, and some people at an early stage of learning the language, although these readers may also be well served by a good plain-language version. A useful way to decide is to ask whether your audience includes people who would need help from another person to understand a well-written ordinary text. If it does, and the information affects their rights, their safety, their money or their access to a service, easy read deserves serious consideration.
When plain language or easy read is required or recommended
There is no single EU rule that tells every company to use plain language or easy read, but several legal frameworks point in that direction, and public bodies carry the clearest obligations.
Public bodies. In Germany, the Behindertengleichstellungsgesetz asks federal public authorities to communicate with people with intellectual and mental disabilities in simple, understandable language, to explain notices and forms in Leichte Sprache where needed, and to provide more information in Leichte Sprache. The federal accessibility regulation for information technology (BITV 2.0) additionally expects federal websites to offer explanations in Leichte Sprache and German Sign Language. In Spain, Ley 6/2022 made cognitive accessibility an explicit part of universal accessibility, and easy-to-read is one of the main ways to provide it. Regional and local rules often go further, and organisations that work for public bodies are frequently asked to deliver easy read versions as part of a contract.
The European Accessibility Act. Directive (EU) 2019/882 requires information about products and services in scope to be understandable and perceivable, and for consumer banking services it sets a concrete language limit: information must not exceed level B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. That is effectively a plain-language requirement. Our guide to European Accessibility Act requirements for documents explains which companies and documents fall in scope.
Consumer and personal-data information. The GDPR requires information about the processing of personal data to be given in a concise, transparent, intelligible and easily accessible form, using clear and plain language. Consumer-protection rules across the EU expect contract terms to be drafted in plain, intelligible language, and terms that are not can be interpreted in the consumer’s favour.
Safety information. EU product rules require instructions and safety information in a language that consumers and other end users can easily understand. That does not mandate easy read, but a warning nobody can follow protects neither the user nor the manufacturer, so safety instructions are a strong candidate for plain language, and for easy read when the product is aimed at people who need it.
HR and internal information. Employers rarely have to publish easy read versions, but multilingual workforces and health and safety duties make plain-language procedures a sensible standard.
This is general information, not legal advice. Whether a specific document is subject to a legal obligation depends on your sector, your country and your customers.
Before and after: illustrative examples
The following sentences are invented to show the difference in level. They are not taken from real documents.
A customer letter. Original: “Pursuant to clause 7.2 of the General Terms and Conditions, the account holder is required to notify the Company of any change in residential address within a period not exceeding thirty days, failing which the Company shall not be liable for correspondence sent to the address on record.” Plain language: “If you move house, please tell us your new address within 30 days. If you do not, letters we send to your old address still count as delivered.” Easy read: “Have you moved house? Tell us your new address. Do it in 30 days or less. If you do not tell us, we send letters to your old address.”
A safety instruction. Original: “Prior to commencing any maintenance activity, it is imperative that the appliance be disconnected from the mains power supply in order to prevent the risk of electric shock.” Plain language: “Unplug the appliance before you clean or repair it. This prevents electric shock.” Easy read: “Do you want to clean the machine? First pull out the plug. Then you can clean it safely. If you do not pull out the plug, you can get an electric shock.” In the easy read version, a picture of the plug being pulled out would sit next to the text.
An HR procedure. Original: “Requests for leave shall be submitted through the designated portal no later than ten working days prior to the commencement of the requested period, subject to managerial approval.” Plain language: “Ask for leave in the HR portal at least 10 working days before it starts. Your manager must approve it.” The easy read version would explain what “leave” and “working days” mean, and might show the portal screen.
Notice what changes at each step. Plain language keeps every piece of information, including the legal consequence in the first example, and only removes the obstacles. Easy read decides what the reader must know and explains it in small steps, which is why it is usually produced as a separate document.
Testing with readers
Testing separates good projects from cosmetic ones. For plain language, the standard’s test is whether readers can actually find, understand and use the information. In practice you give typical readers a task, such as “find out what happens if you cancel early”, and watch where they hesitate. A handful of sessions reveals headings that do not match readers’ questions and conditions they misread.
For easy read, testing is part of the definition. Validators from the target group read the draft, often with a facilitator, and the writer revises until they understand it. Spain’s UNE 153102 EX exists to guide these validators, and DIN SPEC 33429 recommends involving people with learning difficulties. Plan time for it, and in multilingual projects find readers who speak each target language.
How translation interacts with plain language and easy read
Clarity does not automatically survive translation. A literal translation of a clear English sentence can turn heavy in German or Italian, and every language has its own conventions for what reads as simple.
For plain language, the efficient order is to simplify the source first and translate afterwards. A clearer source has fewer ambiguities, so translators guess less, terminology stays stable and reviews go faster. The translated versions should then be checked against plain-language principles in their own language, not just for accuracy. Consistent terms matter here, which is why a shared glossary across languages and suppliers is worth setting up before the first translation, and a translation style guide can record the plain-language choices for each language.
For easy read, direct translation is rarely the right method. Each language has its own easy-to-read rules: German Leichte Sprache, for example, splits long compound words with a hyphen or a medial dot so readers can recognise their parts, while Spanish and Italian easy-to-read guidance deals with different difficulties, such as verb tenses and the subjunctive. The better approach is to start from a plain-language source and produce the easy read version in each language according to that language’s guidelines, then validate it with readers who speak that language. Images can usually be shared across languages, which saves time, but any text inside them must be adapted too.
Layout is the last step and an important one. Easy read depends on font, spacing and the position of pictures, and a published PDF has to be accessible to assistive technology as well. Our guide on how to make a PDF accessible covers the technical side, from tags and reading order to language settings in each version. Choosing between PDF remediation software, an in-house team and a provider is the next decision once you know how many easy read versions you publish each year.
Cost and process: what drives the effort
Plain language and easy read are adaptation work rather than translation, so the cost depends less on word count than on how much needs to change. A well-structured document needs editing, while a dense legal or technical text needs restructuring first. A plain-language rewrite of a policy is a different job from an easy read version with pictures. Validation adds reader sessions and a revision round, images add design work, layout and accessible PDF production add DTP, and each additional language repeats the adaptation and validation, not just the translation.
The process follows a predictable path: define the readers and their tasks; analyse the source and agree on scope, including which content an easy read version keeps; rewrite or adapt; have a subject expert confirm that nothing important has been lost or distorted; test or validate with readers; then lay out, check accessibility and produce the other languages.
Two pitfalls inflate costs more than any other. One is commissioning easy read when the real problem is a poorly structured source that a plain-language rewrite would have fixed for most readers. The other is translating a complex source into five languages and then simplifying five times, instead of simplifying once.
How to choose: a short decision path
When a document lands on your desk with the request to “make it accessible”, a few questions settle the choice quickly.
- Who must be able to use this document without help, and does that group include people with intellectual disabilities or very limited reading skills?
- Does a law, a public contract or a customer require a specific format, such as Leichte Sprache, lectura fácil or a CEFR level?
- Must the document remain complete, for legal or safety reasons, or can a selective version serve some readers?
- Will the document be translated, and into how many languages?
- Can you involve readers from the target group in testing or validation?
If the audience is broad and the document must remain complete, plain language is the answer. If some readers need help with even a clear ordinary text and the information affects them directly, add an easy read version of the essential content. If the document will be translated, simplify first.
What to ask a supplier
A few questions show whether a supplier understands the difference. Ask which standards or guidelines they work to for each language, and how they show it. Ask who validates easy read texts and how validators are recruited in each target language. Ask how they make sure that a plain-language rewrite of a legal or technical text is still correct, and who signs that off. Ask whether they recreate easy read texts in each language or translate them, and how they handle images and layout. Finally, ask how the work is reviewed: the general criteria in our guide to checking a supplier’s quality before you hire them apply here as well.
How DEMA Solutions helps with plain language and easy read
DEMA Solutions offers both services as part of its accessibility and inclusive language services. Our plain language service follows the principles of ISO 24495-1:2023: we identify what readers need to do, restructure the content around their questions, rewrite it, check whether readers can find key points and the next action, and, for multilingual projects, recreate the plain-language result in each target language instead of translating surface wording. When readers need a stronger adaptation, we produce Easy-to-Read versions as separate documents, from leaflets, letters, forms and instructions to web pages and audio or video scripts: we select the essential information, rewrite it, redesign the presentation and, where the project allows, check it with representatives of the intended audience or relevant organisations.
Our experience with plain and easy language projects goes back to the Spanish company that joined DEMA in 2022, and our team presented this work at the GALA 2024 conference in Valencia. Because we also translate and lay out documentation, simplification, translation and DTP can be planned as one workflow: our in-house DTP team prepares the final files, and accessible PDFs can be produced through PDF remediation to PDF/UA. Translations follow an ISO 17100 certified process, with a second qualified linguist revising every translation, delivered by our teams in Italy, Serbia and Spain. Projects that also need inclusive wording, for example in HR material, can be combined with our inclusive language solutions.
Frequently asked questions
Plain language makes the main version of a document clear for a broad audience while keeping all necessary information. Easy read creates a separate, strongly simplified version of the essential information for people with intellectual disabilities or serious reading difficulties, and it is validated by readers from that group.
No. Einfache Sprache is the German term for plain language, which is closer to standard German and aimed at a broad audience. Leichte Sprache is the German form of easy-to-read, with stricter rules, and it is mainly intended for people with learning difficulties.
They are versions of information written in short sentences with everyday words, one idea per sentence, clear layout and supporting pictures, so that people with intellectual disabilities or very limited reading skills can understand them without help.
ISO 24495-1:2023 sets the governing principles and guidelines for plain language in any language. Germany has adopted it as DIN ISO 24495-1 and adds language-specific rules in DIN 8581-1.
Yes. The Inclusion Europe guidelines are the common European reference, ISO/IEC 23859:2023 gives language-neutral requirements, DIN SPEC 33429 covers German Leichte Sprache and UNE 153101 EX covers Spanish lectura fácil.
Validation by readers from the target group is a core part of easy-to-read guidelines and is expected for the easy-to-read logo. Plain language does not require formal validation, but testing with typical readers is strongly recommended.
It is better to recreate it in each language, following that language's easy-to-read rules, and to validate it with readers who speak the language. Starting from a plain-language source makes this much easier.
Make your information easy to find, understand and use
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