The brunt of the pandemic might be over, yet life for many people still feels far from normal. You might feel lonely. You might worry a lot. You might feel stuck in a bad relationship that got worse during lockdown and you’re unsure of how to leave and where to go.

There are a lot of organisations who can help. The problem: If you are one of 44% of Australians with reading difficulty, you might not even know how much support is out there, let alone how to access it.

Four Melbourne-based organisations are tackling the issue. They have begun to offer critical information in Easy English to ensure more people find the help they need to cope with the aftermath of the pandemic.

The work was made possible thanks to the generosity of Transurban and Thriving Communities Partnership, whose COVID Recovery project gave the organisations listed below an opportunity to have brochures and posters translated into Easy English free of charge to benefit the community:

• Beyond Blue
• St. Vincent’s Hospital
• West Justice
• Uniting Victoria and Tasmania

What is Easy English?

Easy English is a writing style that is concise and easy to understand. It uses simple language alongside images to get key messages across.

It’s a form of communication that benefits anyone who has trouble reading and understanding written English. This includes people with disability, elderly people and people who speak a foreign language at home.

Can you read the COVID Recovery content?

The organisation that got chosen for the Transurban COVID Recovery project will share their new Easy English documents with the public as soon as they are ready.

Beyond Blue

The mental health organisation will publish an Easy English booklet to help you understand anxiety and depression.

Uniting

The community organisation will publish an Easy English booklet to help you escape partner violence.

West Justice

The Melbourne-based community lawyers will publish an Easy English booklet to help you stay safe from online scams.

St. Vincent’s Hospital

The hospital’s Disability Liaison Officers will publish an Easy English booklet and poster to help you understand your patient rights and get safe healthcare during the pandemic.

How you can get involved

Head to our website for more information about how Easy English might benefit your organisation.