Should Easy Read be a "niche"?

When people ask me "what do you do for a living?" I am never entirely sure what to say.

Sometimes I start with "I'm a graphic designer", because many people can imagine what that is. I design books and leaflets, and I make pages look nice.

Then I might start to explain that I write and design information specifically for people with learning disabilities. I often then follow this up with something like "it's a bit niche".

I looked up definitions of "niche". One said:

"A specialised area - not widely popular"

So - are accessible buildings a "niche"? No. Modern buildings have level access, lifts, automatic doors. We have come to accept this as a feature of our society. Accessibility in public buildings is the standard, and it helps everyone to get around more easily.

Easy Read has been developed by and for a specific audience - people with learning disabilities. But clear and unambiguous written communication is useful for us all.

The Citizenship Manifesto by Simon Duffy and the Citizen Network, design by Red Press and Clare Tarling. Illustration by Ester Ortega.