August TCAID: InFocus - Roscommon LEADER Partnership Launches ‘Easy Read Roscommon’ to Promote Inclusive Communication
On Wednesday, 13th August 2025, Minister Hildegarde Naughton officially launched Easy Read Roscommon, a groundbreaking initiative hosted by the Roscommon LEADER Partnership. This event marked an important milestone in advancing accessible communication across Ireland, shining a spotlight on the voices of those who experience difficulty understanding written English and the complexity of navigating what many take for granted, the environment around us, signage, complex policies or forms that need completing.
This particularly impacts on people with intellectual disability therefore the use of plain language, short sentences, and images to help make documents understood. Prof. Éilish Burke attended on behalf of the Trinity Centre for Ageing and Intellectual Disability and the IDS-TILDA project who have a long-time working relationship with the Brothers of Charity and are delighted to support and highlight events such as this.
On the day the minister noted “accessible communication isn’t just good practice, it’s essential for equality, inclusion, and dignity for everyone in our communities” an ethos IDS-TILDA and TCAID hold and live through their research. Program Manager Mary Guihen sums up the sentiment when she noted that “we believe that information should be for everyone…information should be easy to understand and useful to the people who need it most”. The launch event was well-attended, including notable figures such as Senator Gareth Scahill and Councillor Michael Frain, who highlighted the valuable influence of research such as IDS-TILDA on shaping initiative’s such in our community.
Easy Read Roscommon is Ireland’s first Easy Read Peer Review Group and dedicated website, designed to make written information clearer and more accessible. A key feature of Easy Read Roscommon is its commitment to peer review, where those with relevant lived experience evaluate materials to ensure clarity and usability.
Importantly, the Easy Read Peer Review Group are contributing expertise to ongoing efforts to make Roscommon Hospital an Age Friendly Hospital, reflecting the initiative’s broader commitment to inclusive communication across public services. With a mission to improve accessibility by making written information easier to understand through peer review by people with lived experience. Their vision is a society where everyone can access and comprehend necessary information independently and with dignity.
Easy Read Roscommon represents a vital step forward in creating accessible communication pathways, empowering individuals with diverse literacy needs, and fostering an inclusive society. TCAID and the IDS-TILDA Study wish the initiative every success and are delighted to see such endeavours to improve the lives of people with intellectual disability.