Accessibility for Digital Communications Policy Easy Read

A policy is a plan for how we should do things.

Policies are where rules come from.

The NSW Government Department of Communities and Justice wrote this policy.

When you see the word ‘we’, it means the Department of Communities and Justice.

We have written some words in bold.

This means the letters are thicker and darker.

We explain what these words mean.

You can find these words in the Word list at the end of the policy.

This Easy Read policy is a summary of the Accessibility for Digital Communications policy. This means it only includes the most important ideas.

You can find the full policy on the DCJ website.

You can ask for help to read this policy. A friend, family member or support person may be able to help you

We want to make our information more accessible.

When something is accessible, everyone can use it.

When we say everyone, we mean:

• you

• people who use our services

• people who work in our Department.

• read our documents

• use our websites or intranet

• use our social media

• go to our events

• find out more about our policies.

• take part when we talk to the community

• understand what to do if there is an emergency.

An emergency is something that:

• we don’t expect to happen
• can put people’s health and safety at risk.

This policy covers the websites and intranet we make.

This policy covers content we share online, such as:

• documents

• photos and images

• videos

• audio files

This policy covers social media we use, including:

• YouTube

• Facebook

• Twitter

• Instagram

• LinkedIn.

This policy also covers any:

• online staff training we do

• meetings

• online tours

• webinars

A webinar is a presentation or workshop done online using video.

Everyone who works for the Department must follow this policy.

This includes:

• managers and leaders

• all staff who make information to share online

• people who make our websites and intranet

Lots of different people use our services.

People with different types of disability use our service

People who speak languages other than English use our services.

Older people use our services.

Some people who use our services don’t have good skills for using technology.

People who work for us might need accessible information to:

• do their work

• use information.

We want to make our information accessible.

This means everyone can use

We will make things accessible, including:

• our websites and intranet

• documents we share online

• things we post on social media.

We will write information in ways that are easy to understand.

We will write some of our online content in:

• Easy Read

• different languages.

We will follow the laws about making information accessible.

We must follow the Disability Inclusion Act 2014 (NSW).

It talks about how people with disability have the right to find and use information.

We must follow the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (Cth).

It talks about how we must make our information more accessible.

We must follow the Multicultural NSW Act 2000.

It talks about how people from different backgrounds are treated fairly.

If we don’t follow this policy, the community might not be able to find or use:

• our services

• information they need.