In a significant call to action, legal regulators have been urged to implement a ‘disability-friendly’ quality mark for law firms. This initiative aims to ensure that individuals with learning disabilities receive ‘easy read’ client information, a move underscored by recent collaborative research from the universities of Birmingham and Leeds.
Legal capacity researchers have developed templates, including a letter of engagement, to assist lawyers in making their services more accessible to people with learning disabilities. These templates are available for free download, allowing legal professionals to adapt them in their practice.
An example of the initiative’s efforts is the easy read summaries, which are designed to communicate core concepts in legal terms of business. Researchers assert that while these summaries do not replace full legal articulations, they play a critical role in supporting disabled clients to understand legal services. However, additional support often remains necessary for these individuals to fully engage and comprehend the information provided.
The project, named COALITION (Co-Producing Accessible Legal Information), highlighted the pervasive barriers people with learning disabilities face in accessing legal information and services. These barriers include difficulties in obtaining basic legal information, challenges in selecting appropriate legal services, and understanding legal jargon and client care letters. Therefore, there is a pronounced unmet legal need that can be addressed by creating accessible legal information across multiple legal topics.
To address these issues, COALITION conducted workshops with legal professionals and participants with learning disabilities to discuss and identify solutions. Recommendations from the project include the creation of a specific quality mark to guide and reassure disabled clients and the development of an accessible web database featuring easy read legal information.
Furthermore, the report suggests that legal education should incorporate equality law with a focus on disability adjustments. Disability awareness training and guidance on communicating with disabled clients should become integral to the vocational training stages for aspiring lawyers.
For law firms, suggested improvements include the development of accessible guides and ensuring physical accessibility of offices. Collaborating with disabled persons’ organisations can also help demystify their services. Moreover, having easy read versions of legal documents readily available can significantly enhance service accessibility.
Participants in the project noted that many lawyers specialising in mental capacity and Court of Protection did not provide written information to clients, as it was not mandated. However, disabled individuals expressed a strong desire for some form of written reference, even if they could not grasp the full complexities therein.
The need for legal professionals to take potential disabled clients seriously, understanding their fear of not being taken seriously, is crucial in breaking down justice barriers. Professor Rosie Harding of Birmingham University Law School noted the extensive unmet legal needs and emphasised the benefit of easy-to-read formats, which can aid those with limited literacy or for whom English is not their first language.
The COALITION project shines a light on the pressing necessity for the legal sector to become more inclusive and accessible for individuals with learning disabilities. By adopting recommended practices, legal services can bridge the gap in accessibility and provide a more equitable platform for justice.
