Make it Easy | Kia Māmā Mai

Screenshot of a Teams call with 8 participants. Most are wearing a costume or accessory including skull makeup, a bat headband, a dinosaur hoodie and a jack o lantern mask.

What's scarier this Halloween - Easy Read translators, or inaccessible information? We showed up in our spooky costumes, ready for the battle.

Wishing you a Happy Halloween🎃 from the Make it Easy team.

Easy Read cover of My Hi-5 Wellness plan. The logos for Te Pou and Easy Read are along the top. the Centre image is a whare / house that is titled "Te Whare Tapa Whā" It has the 5 values around it - Taha wairua / spiritual, Taha hinengaro / Mental & emotional , Taha tinana / Physical , Taha whānau / Family & Social, Whenua / Land, roots. The published date is September 2024

It’s Mental Health Week in NZ — a time to slow down, notice, connect.

We’re sharing “My Hi-5 Wellness Plan” (Easy Read) — a guide you can use to think about 5 areas of wellbeing and build your own plan.

👉 Grab it here: bit.ly/46W5d3k

A poster about the Make it Easy newsletter. There is a picture of someone reading the Make it Easy newsletter on a laptop. The poster says "NEW Make it Easy Kia Māmā Mai Newsletter"

We are excited to announce we have launched a brand new Make it Easy Newsletter!

You can read our first newsletter at lnkd.in/gy_rDggY

Dont hesitate and sign up today at lnkd.in/gazmqp9z to get all things Easy Read sent direct to your inbox!

Image from Make it Easy Kia Mama Mai saying "Happy International Day of Sign Languages! THere are 2 imagef of people using NZSL. 1 is of a teacher and 2 students at a table. there is a book open on the table. THe other is of 2 people having a conversation at a table using a NZSL interpreter.

Today is International Day of Sign Languages.
The theme for 2025 is No Human Rights Without Sign Language Rights.
You can find more information at: bit.ly/48uXNGG

We have been working with Studio Rebeko to make sure our Easy Read has images representing our diverse community.

You can find the document "Rainbow Easy Read: Rainbow words and identities" as well as the rest of the Rainbow Easy Read suite at: linktr.ee/rainboweasyr...

A screenshot of the Plain Language Awards -Best Plain Language Document - Private Sector Finalists. Make it Easy's Rainbow Easy Read: Rainbow words and Identities is listed as one of the finalists.

Congratulations to the translators who worked so hard on the Rainbow Easy Read! Make it Easy is a finalist in the Plain Language Awards thanks to their hard mahi.

You can find out how to attend the Plain Language Awards on their website at: www.plainlanguageawards.org.nz/winners/2025...

A guide to te reo maori. on the right there is the logo of Maori Language Week with the words "Give Te Reo a Go". On the left there is a guide that says: mōrena means Good Morning, Ngā mihi o te ahiahi means good afternoon, Ngā mihi o te pō means Good evening, Kia pai te rā means Have a good day, Haere rā means Goodbye (when the speaker is staying), E noho rā means Goodbye )when the speaker is leaving) and Mā te wā means Bye for now / see you later. The logos of Kia Kaha Te Reo Māori and Te Taura Whiri i Te Reo Maori - Māori Language Commission are at the bottom.

This week is Te Wiki o te Reo Māori – Māori Language Week.

We have created Easy Read resources about te ao Māori.
🌟 We have Easy Read about Matariki at bit.ly/3VBIi8t

🌟 Soon we will share new Easy Reads about "Visiting a marae" and "What is Karakia?"

Find our FREE Easy Read library with these documents and more at www.peoplefirst.org.nz/easy-read-li...

It is Daffodil Day!
Cancer screening saves lives.

We have Easy Read about:
- bowel screening
- cervical screening

Easy Read means more people can learn about and join in screening programmes.

Blue tile with heading Easy Read document and the Make it Easy logo. Inside the tile is an image of an Easy Read translation called Get ready and vote in the Tāmaki Makaurau by-election - Easy Read 2025.

Do you live)?
There’s a by-election coming up to elect a local Member of Parliament in Tāmaki Makaurau / Auckland

Voting starts 25 August. Voting ends at 7pm on 6 September.

Voting information is available in lots of formats like Easy Read.

vote.nz/tamaki-makau...

A yellow tile with two people standing on top of an orb that says "no tech day" across the front. Above the orb says "Does your business rely on technology to thrive?" Below the orb says "So do your customers" The top left of the tile says "No Tech Day 22 Aug 2025" The top right says "join the movement www.notechday.nz". At the bottom of the tile it says "20% of people in Aotearoa face barriers to accessing our digital world. No Tech Day is powered by Digital Equality Aotearoa"

Today is #NoTechDay - a day to acknowledge the digital divide that means 20% of people in NZ face barriers to accessing the digital world.

This is why we recommend clients offer printed Easy Read as well as the digital versions - then more people have access to info they need.

Blue tile with heading Easy Read document and the Make it Easy logo. Inside the tile is an image of two Easy Read translations called "Draft NZ Disability Strategy 2026 to 2030: Tell us what you think, and Part 4 Priority outcomes areas and actions.

Yesterday the Ministry of Disabled People - Whaikaha released the refreshed New Zealand Disability Strategy for 2026 to 2030. It tells the Government how to make things better for disabled people.

Find Easy Read about the strategy and how to have your say about the draft strategy at bit.ly/41d1xbu

TOp of the Make it Easy Facebook page. The cover image is a photo of 2 Easy Read translators and 1 people first NZ member. They are sitting at a table with lots of Easy Read.

We would like to announce we now have a new Facebook page!
www.facebook.com/MakeItEasyNZ

New to Easy Read? Check out a new Easy Read document written and translated by us - What is Easy Read?

You can find this document and many more in our FREE Easy Read library at lnkd.in/gCfxjrMD

Blue tile with heading Easy Read document and the Make it Easy logo. Inside the tile is a label on the top right with updated as well as images of two Easy Read translations called Easy Read Individual Employment Agreement and guide - August 2025

People First NZ’s Make it Easy translation service and IHC have worked together to update the very popular Easy Read Individual Employment Agreement. It has all the legal requirements of a standard full agreement.

You can find links to the document and read about it at bit.ly/PFIEA

two people talking. 1 person is happy and is saying "I read about it this morning!" the other person looks sad and says "I'm still waiting for the Easy Read" The bottom of the image says "Ask for Easy Read to be avaliable on launch day - Accessible information should not be an afterthought.

🚨 Big news drops.
📄 Long document.
⏳ Still waiting for Easy Read?

That’s not OK.
Tell the people in charge:
“We want Easy Read on the same day as everyone else!”

Blue tile with heading Easy Read document and the Make it Easy logo. Inside the tile is an image of an Easy Read translation called National Certificate of Educational Achievement / NCEA changes: Summary of discussion document - August 2025

NCEA with new national qualifications.

You can have your say about what you think of the proposed changes. Consultation is now open and you have until 15 September 2025 to have your say.

You can find more information, including Easy Read and other Alternate Formats at:

lnkd.in/gehBdUCG

Blue tile with heading Easy Read document and the Make it Easy logo. Inside the tile is an image of an Easy Read translation called what you can do to be ready for space weather.

Space weather is when the sun gives out a lot of energy all at once. Space weather is sometimes called a solar storm.

You can now find Easy Read information on the Get Ready website called. lnkd.in/gXVNtF74

Thank you to NEMA for working with Make it Easy to create these #EasyRead resources.

A poster with an orange background and a big white "i" with a circle around it in the middle. It has the Electoral Commission logo in the bottom left corner. the poster says "Easy Read and alternate formats avaliable for 2025 local election information. Help spread the word about enrolling and voting in your community."

The Electoral Commission has shared on their Facebook page about where to find Easy Read about the 2025 local elections.

Digital Easy Read: bit.ly/4kYmhuB

Order a printed copy: bit.ly/4lKyZ1l

Other alt formats: bit.ly/4kST8ku

Thanks Electoral Commission for making printed copies avaliable! 🎉

People First NZ members Roz and Morgan along with Make it Easy Manager Kath talking to on Zoom to the Governance and Administration Committee

Last week, People First NZ members Roz Gielink & Morgan Smith with MiE Manager Kath Parrish made an Oral Submission about why they believe the Plain Language Act needs to stay.

You can find their Submission 37 mins into the video at:
bit.ly/44V7z1p

Thank you to Roz & Morgan for speaking for PFNZ!

Tile with make it easy logo in the bottom left corner. The title of the tile says "Easy Read Document: Information about the Work and Income traffic light system - July 2025. The main image is a picture of the Easy Read document

You can now find updated Easy Read information on the Work and Income website about the benefit traffic light system.
You can find this information at: www.workandincome.govt.nz/.../traffic....

Cover of the Easy Read document "How to get ready for a storm" There is a picture of people writing a plan and a picture of a thundercloud with lighting. The document was published in December 2022

Many parts of the country have severe weather warnings and the Nelson-Tasman region are in a State of Emergency. For times like this, the National Emergency Management Agency (NZ) worked with us to develop a range of Easy Read about what to do in an emergency.

getready.govt.nz/alternate-fo...

Blue tile with heading Easy Read document and the Make it Easy logo. Inside the tile is an image of an Easy Read translation called Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha: Strategic Intentions 2025 - 2028 summary.

The Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha have set out their strategic intentions for 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2028. You can find more information about these strategic intentions, including information in Alternate Formats at tinyurl.com/ykakah4b

A charcoal grey flag bisected diagonally from the top left corner to the lower right right corner by five parallel stripes in red, pale gold, pale grey, light blue, and green

July is Disability Pride Month!

The Disability Pride flag has 5 coloured lines for different disabilities:

• red = physical
• gold = learning disability / neurodivergance
• white = invisible / undiagnosed
• blue = mental health
• green = sensory
• black background = disabled people who have died.

A brown background with different chocolates on it. At the top it says "Chocolate Day". the main image is an Easy Read document about Matariki that has a chocolate wrapper on it in the right hand corner. it is poartially unwrapped.

Happy Chocolate Day!

Who doesn't love chocolate thats easy to unwrap? It lets you taste the sweet, smooth chocolate much quicker.

Info should be like that too!
Everyone needs good info and it should be easy to "unwrap" (understand).

💬 What’s your favourite chocolate?

#EasyRead #ChocolateDay

Blue tile with heading Easy Read document and the Make it Easy logo. Inside the tile is an image of an Easy Read translation called Support to make a complaint about Conversion Practices - June 2025

In 2022 the Government passed legislation that made conversion practices unlawful.

Te Kāhui Tika Tangata - Human Rights Commission has information in Easy Read about getting support to make a complaint about Conversion Practices.

You can find the information at: bit.ly/4eyBn8B

Accessible Social Media: Alt Text — OpenAccess Alt text for social media images makes them accessible to blind people. This guide explains how to add alt text to your social media images, and why it's important.

The Make it Easy team joined People First NZ for a great webinar with Callum from @openaccess.nz on alt text and social media accessibility.

Thanks Callum for sharing your knowledge with us!

Read more in his blog and find out about working with OpenAccess at bit.ly/oa-alttext

It’s Deafblind Awareness Week! 🎉 Meet Donald Gibson, a Deafblind sculptor creating stunning stone works in New Brighton. Watch him in action at the Sculpture Garden: tinyurl.com/mr3csh36 #DeafblindAwareness #Art #Inclusion

A open journal with a pen and some pink flowers lying on it. the words on the right hand page say "When has someone made something easier for you?" There is an illustration of a purple flower and a yellow flower below the words.

We all need a little support sometimes.

Maybe someone helped you with a work project, cooked you dinner, or just held the door open when your hands were full.

Getting the right support can make life easier for everyone.

💬 Tell us about a time someone made something easier for you!

Purple and white tile with the make it easy logo in the corner. There is an Easy Read document in the middle. The tite says at the top "Easy Read Document Manawatia a Matariki - What is Matariki and why is it important in Aotearoa New Zealand"

Ngā mihi o Matariki, te tau hou Māori

Greetings of Matariki, the Māori New Year.

Tommorow is Matariki!

The Make it Easy service is excited to share a brand new Easy Read called “Mānawatia a Matariki - What is Matariki and why it is important in Aotearoa New Zealand.”

tinyurl.com/matariki-ER

A rainbow background with the make it easy logo in the bottom left corner. the main image is 8 rainbow easy read documents. At the top it says "Rainbow Easy Read - generously funded by Rule Foundation"

June is International Pride Month - a time when the rainbow/LGBTQIA+ community gets together to speak up, celebrate, and connect.

Want to find out more about rainbow/LGBTQIA+ communities? Check out our Rainbow Easy Read for easy to understand information:

lnkd.in/gqgkJgss