When an international development specialist needed expertise for their inclusive programs, they turned to local social enterprise Blend Creative for help.

Blend Creative is a multi-service graphic design studio that has been providing real work opportunities to designers with disability since 1990.

Part of SA Group Enterprises, which has had a long and strong history of providing work opportunities to people with disability, Blend Creative is well placed as a trusted business partner.

This trust is why access and inclusion consultants at Maven reached out for help on design solutions for easy-read documents they were creating.

First partnering in June 2020, the Blend Creative and Maven collaboration provides clients with specialised design that enhances easy-read documents for businesses.

Maven translate text to help internal and external audiences who may have had trouble reading and understanding the sometimes convoluted documentation that circulates around workplaces. 

At times, people with intellectual disability can find these documents difficult to understand due to large pieces of text, abstract or complex language or a lack of images to help support understanding.

Maven consultants craft simple text to suit the needs of the client and then partner with Blend Creative to design the style, layout and images aligned to what is referred to as easy read principles and client branding guidelines.

A mockup of a Maven and Blend Creative document

The outcome is documents that have one idea per sentence using simplified language and grammar and include things such as addressing readers as “you” and using “we” for the writer.

Blend Creative and Maven also ensure they use numerals for numbers, avoid using abbreviations and place important words and phrases in bold. Adding in clear, accurate, meaningful images and simplified font, layout and design is a final step to help making the entire package easier to understand.

As Monique Russell from Blend Creative says, “Basically, it’s what all forms and documents should be like, but they are often complicated by the author or publishing authority – COVID guidelines come immediately to mind.”

Another Blend Creative innovation is the development and trademark of their Socially Inclusive Design logo. 

The logo is for the exclusive use of their clients to show that their organisation supports social inclusion in the workplace.

As part of SA Group Enterprises, Blend Creative can help many different industries across the state, nation and world.

With nine commercial social enterprises that include diversity in work, not just in the workplace, SA Group Enterprises has business units that focus on graphic design, catering, landscaping and grounds maintenance, as well asElectronic Recycling Australia and WSL Repak.

The different business units work to meet commercial expectations in a competitive market – all while staying true to their primary objective: providing real work opportunities for people with disability.

To learn more about Blend Creative, visit the website.