Easy reading, the new message of the “Diversity is you” campaign

April’s message for the “Diversity is you” campaign is about easy reading, coinciding with the traditional Saint George’s Day book festival. The goal is to foster universal access not only to reading but also to easy-to-understand information, with simple, concise texts accompanied by illustrative images.

The right to universal access to information is a very important right, particularly in situations like the present Covid-19 lockdown. If people are to be able to live independently they must be able to overcome this type of barrier.

As each month, TV Banyoles will include the “Diversity is you” campaign in its programme schedule.

The campaign

The Pla de l’Estany County Council’s Social Welfare Area has begun preparations for the 3rd year of the campaign entitled “Diversity is you”. This year, it will revolve around disability and accessibility barriers.

The initiative came about in 2018 with the intention of going beyond one-off actions and organising an annual campaign which, month by month, would also generate public awareness on specific topics and provide a framework for activities carried out by different areas within the County Council. The first year’s theme revolved around the LGTBI community while the second year focused on racism. This year, it has been decided to focus on intellectual and functional disability.

The goal of the “Diversity is you” campaign is to transform the patronising, exclusionary perception of disabled people. To normalise it as simply an alternative way of being and acknowledge their right to be more independent and live life in equal conditions with the rest of society. Within the campaign, a number of activities have been organised throughout the year to take this message to the entire county. One of them will be to organise a film cycle halfway through the year with people who are experts in the subject. Another is the monthly dissemination of messages for reflection which will be published via free magazines, social media and communication media, and will also be sent to schools, libraries and other public facilities.