About this resource
Pain and illness can be missed when people find it hard to explain how they feel. This Easy Read resource uses short sentences, icons and a simple pain scale to help people tell someone they feel unwell, show where it hurts and how bad it is, and know who they can tell.
Purpose
To help people communicate pain and illness early, and to prompt supporters to listen and act.
Who it is for
Primary profession: Disability support workers. Also relevant for speech pathologists.
Client or participant group: Adults and young people with intellectual disability or communication difficulties, and the people who support them.
Practice setting: Home, supported living, day programs and health appointments.
Suggested uses
- Teaching people how to tell someone they feel unwell
- Keeping at home or in a bag for appointments
- Supporting health appointments
- Prompting supporters to check in
Instructions for practitioners
- Go through the resource with the person when they are well.
- Practise pointing to body areas and the pain scale.
- Make sure supporters know to respond and to seek medical help when needed.
- In an emergency, call 000.
Instructions for clients or participants
- Point to how you feel.
- Show where it hurts.
- Show how bad it is.
- Tell someone you trust.
Accessibility considerations
Easy Read layout with icons. Needs testing with Easy Read users, and photos or symbols familiar to the person can be added.
Scope and limitations
A communication support. It is not a medical assessment or pain assessment tool and does not replace medical advice.
Research basis
Clear, plain-language information and checking understanding (teach-back) improve understanding, safety and quality of care. Easy Read standards and disability rights frameworks support people's right to accessible information; test Easy Read materials with the people who will use them.
- Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care. (2014). Health literacy: Taking action to improve safety and quality. ACSQHC. https://www.safetyandquality.gov.au/publications-and-resources/resource-library/health-literacy-taking-action-improve-safety-and-quality
- Australian Government. Style Manual: Plain language and word choice. https://www.stylemanual.gov.au/writing-and-designing-content/clear-language-and-writing-style/plain-language-and-word-choice
- Inclusion Europe. (2009). Information for all: European standards for making information easy to read and understand. https://www.inclusion-europe.eu/easy-to-read-standards-guidelines/
- Talevski, J., Wong Shee, A., Rasmussen, B., Kemp, G., & Beauchamp, A. (2020). Teach-back: A systematic review of implementation and impacts. PLOS ONE, 15(4), e0231350. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0231350
- United Nations. (2006). Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. https://www.ohchr.org/en/instruments-mechanisms/instruments/convention-rights-persons-disabilities
What is included
A 3-page printable A4 PDF, including a practitioner notes page with the research basis (version 1.0).
Originality
Original Practitioner Plus content: wording, activity structure, layout and icons were created for this resource. No third-party worksheets, illustrations or text were reproduced. Symbols are original line drawings created for Practitioner Plus.
