The specialised training in Easy Reading and Cognitive Accessibility, promoted by the Bracara Augusta Foundation in partnership with CERCI Braga and the Portuguese Catholic University - Braga Campus, with the institutional support of the Municipality of Braga, came to an end on 23 May.
Over five intense and immersive days, the 21 participants learnt more about how to make information accessible to everyone, with a special focus on audiences with cognitive difficulties, low literacy, dementia or language barriers.
The main objectives of the training were to:
- Train in the creation of accessible content;
- Apply international best practice;
- Use digital and artificial intelligence tools to improve inclusive communication.
With a theoretical-practical format and a duration of 30 hours, the trainees explored topics such as:
- Principles of Easy Reading and accessible formatting (WCAG 2.1)
- User testing techniques
- Use of generative AI (such as ChatGPT) in textual simplification
- Digital tools for checking accessibility
- Development of adapted practical materials
The training was conducted by Sandra Marques, a specialist in Special Education and Child Development, ensuring a professional, rigorous and sensitive approach to the needs of the target audience.
This initiative responds to the urgent need to equip social workers and cultural agents with the essential skills to communicate in a clearer, more accessible and inclusive way, thus contributing to full and participatory citizenship.
We would like to thank all the participants and partners involved for joining in this mission to build a fairer, more understandable and accessible society for all.
