Black Lives Matter covered by newspaper for people with learning disabilities

With simple, short sentences and pictures to describe each paragraph, a newspaper for people with learning disabilities has published an edition about the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement.

Learning disability charity United Response decided to cover the global movement in the latest quarterly edition of its Easy News newspaper – the first and only news magazine created by people with learning disabilities for people with learning disabilities.

The latest Summer digital edition, features the murder of George Floyd and the resulting international protests.

Easy News, which has been running since 2013, is described by the charity as offering ‘accessible, politically neutral’ summaries of key news stories and events for people who may have otherwise found regular news and Government briefings ‘daunting or confusing’.

‘Enough is enough’

The publication reports on not only the events around George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis but also covers the slave trade, Britain’s Race Relations Acts of 1965 and 1968 and contains website links to learn more about BLM and police brutality in America.

One paragraph states ‘On 13th March 2020, a 26-year-old black woman called Breonna Taylor was shot 8 times in her own home. The police were looking for drugs. They did not find any’.

United Response supports around 2,000 adults and young people with learning disabilities, mental health needs or physical disabilities from 24-hour care to a few hours a week, at around 400 locations across England and Wales.

Rahman Kebbie has autism and is supported by United Response. He is one of the people who select and translates news into accessible stories for Easy News.

Mr Kebbie attended a BLM protest in his home city of Manchester, last month.

Rahman Kebbie said: “I want to speak out to say that enough is enough – we’re not going to allow any more injustice or inequality to define us, and will not allow racism to be part of society. We want people to speak out and not be seen as second class.”

‘BLM channels a passion and energy’

Easy News has a regular readership of 4,600 people with learning disabilities, helping to keep them informed about the world. Subscription is free and subscribers include local authorities, schools, libraries and other charities.

This summer’s BLM edition follows a Covid-19 special, released in April, which explained the virus and impact of lockdown in easy-to-understand language.

Tim Cooper, chief executive of United Response, said: “The BLM movement channels a passion and energy that we should all draw on to tackle racism and wider prejudices wherever and however we find them.”