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Health information should respect and include everyone

Questions to help you check if health information is respectful.
Who is it for?
People with intellectual disability
What is it about?
How to find and use good health information
Who made it?
National Centre of Excellence in Intellectual Disability Health
When was it made?
It was created
3 months ago
. It was shared here .

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About Easy Read

Easier words with pictures to help explain some ideas.

Good health information

Boy pointing to a button on a computer screen that says “resources”.

It is important to get good health information. 

Good health information uses positive words and pictures. 

Good health information respects all people. 

Good health information warns people before showing things that might upset you. 

Ask these questions to help decide if health information is right for you.  

  1. Does the information use good words and pictures. 
  2. Does the information respect people from different groups? 
  3. Does the information warn you if there is things that might upset you? 

Good health information:

  • uses words and pictures that are positive and show respect  
  • warns people before showing things that might make them feel upset 
  • respects different cultures, like people who speak another language 
  • respects different groups, like people who are .

Ask these 3 questions to help you decide if health information is right for you. 

Does the information have words and pictures that are positive and show respect?

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Some words and pictures help people feel good about themselves. Positive words and pictures can make you feel: 

  • safe 
  • welcome 
  • understood. 

On Our Health Space, we use pictures and words that show respect for people with intellectual disability. Here is an example:

A woman using a standing frame.

We use images like this because we want the people who find information here to feel good! 

Health information that has mean words or pictures does not show respect for you. 

Ask for health information that is positive and feels right for you. 

Are there warnings before content that could make you feel upset?

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Sometimes, information needs to talk about hard or upsetting topics. For example: 

  • violence 
  • abuse 
  • illness 
  • death. 

Good information gives a warning first. This helps people choose if they are ready to read or watch it. 

For example, warnings might say: 

  • “This page talks about violence and abuse” 
  • “Some people may find this upsetting”. 

Does the information respect different groups and cultures?

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Health information should be . Inclusive means it respects different groups and cultures. This is very important when the information has been made for people from a certain group or culture. 

For example, information may be made for: 

  • people 
  • people from different countries, who speak different languages 
  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples 
  • people with disability. 

Health information made for people from a certain group or culture should: 

  • match their values and beliefs 
  • use the words they use, like slang 
  • if possible, have the language they speak, like Thai, English or Arabic 
  • show pictures of people from that group. 

Ask for health information that suits groups and cultures you belong to. 

Tips to help you know if health information is accessible
An illustration with a green tick in the centre of a magnifying glass.

This resource is part of a series

How to check if health information is good and right for you

Everyone needs health information that is good and meets their needs, but it can be hard to know what information you can trust. 

One of the ways you can get health information is from health resources. Health resources can be things like: 

  • fact sheets about a health problem 
  • guides that teach you how to do something good for your health 
  • videos that explain something about health 
  • apps that help you take care of your health. 

Researchers asked people with intellectual disability, family members and health professionals what makes health resources good to use. 

Together, they made a list to help people check health resources. 

Resource Quality and Checklist for People with Intellectual Disability and Their Supporters 

We have used ideas from the Checklist to write about how you can check if health information is good and right for you. In the links below, you will find examples and practical advice to help build your knowledge and skills.  

Often, the best information comes from a person who knows a lot about health and knows things about you too. For example, GPs and other health professionals give good health advice.  

The advice we give here should be helpful to most people, but it is not specific to you. Talk to a health professional if: 

  • you are worried about your health 
  • you can't decide if some health information is good and right for you. 

More in this series

This resource was made by