CATHY BASTERFIELD
Cathy is a highly experienced speech pathologist, with a background of more than 30 years’ working with people with complex communication needs and in particular with people who have an intellectual disability.
Nearly 20 years ago, Cathy started the development of Easy English in Australia, including writing the first guidelines for writing Easy English. This is still the basis of quality Easy English. The most up-to-date guidelines is a checklist expanding on the original work, with the results of current research and consumer feedback. A manual is under development, which will be available to the public ASAP.
In 2019, her paper “Plain Language Easy English. What does it all mean” was published.
Cathy is a member of a number of professional associations where access to written information is on the agenda including Speech Pathology Australia, the International Communication Rights Alliance, International PLAIN, and the International Association for the Scientific Study of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IASSIDD).
She has a long list of research questions about the development and use of Easy English.
In 2022 Cathy and her team were recognised for their Easy English work with multiple national and international awards:
• International Zero Project Shortlist for 2023
• International Global Award 2022 – Most Outstanding Communicator for people with Disability
• Australian National Enablement Award 2022 – Most Outstanding Communicator in the NDIS Sector
• APAC Insider Small Business Award 2022 for our Easy English training
• Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI )– COVID Safe Business Community Award Finalist 2022 for our pro bono COVID19 content development.
CÉLIA SOUSA
PhD in Educational Sciences, in Communication, from the University of Extremadura. She is a Professor at
the School of Education and Social Sciences of the Polytechnic of Leiria and Integrated Researcher of the Interdisciplinary Research Center of Social Sciences of the Universidade Nova de Lisboa (CICS. NOVA. IPLeiria).
She is also a member of the board of the Portuguese Society of Rehabilitation and Accessibility Engineering (SUPERA).
In recent decades she has developed projects in the areas of support technologies, inclusive education, enhanced communication and accessible culture.
LEEALAURA LESKELÄ
PhD in Finnish language, Finno-Ugrian and Scandinavian studies, from the University of Helsinki. Her research interests include Easy Finnish and spoken easy language in linguistically asymmetric interaction. She has been involved in several development projects and linguistic research on the Finnish language and easy Finnish.
She was director of the Finnish Centre for Easy Language (Selkokeskus), where she developed principles for Easy Finnish and measuring tools for simplicity and understanding of language. She has been working as a trainer and consultant for Easy Finnish since 2001.
She has published several theoretical guides on how to write in Easy Finnish.
Marta Nogueira
PhD in Psychology, research line in Communicative Strategies and Interpersonal Communication, on the field of Employment Inclusion of People with Disabilities. Invited Assistant Professor at the School of Education and Social Sciences of the Polytechnic of Leiria. Integrated Researcher at the Life Quality Research Center (CIEQV). Accredited by the Scientific-Pedagogical Council for continuous training in C112 – Awareness of Special Education and A158 – Psychology. Collaborator at the Resource Center for Digital Inclusion (CRID) of the Polytechnic of Leiria. Participates in projects on inclusion, namely Accessible Culture, Inclusive Education and Inclusive Fitness. He has been carrying out research and participating in scientific meetings and projects in the area of inclusion on a national and international level.
NEVENKA KOS
Works at the RISA Institute in Slovenia, as a validator and consultant in the area of Easy Reading and she is co-founder of LABRA, the Association for Adapted Communication.
Since 2011, she has been an easy-toread content validator and editor of the magazine “20 minutes”, in easy reading.
She co-authored several original, easy-to-read novels, as well as current guidelines for easy reading of Slovenia.
ROCIO BARNABE CARO
Professor of barrier-free communication at the International University of Applied Sciences at SDI Munich.
She has a Master’s degree in Translation (UGR) and another master’s degree in Documents, Technologies and Accessible Applications (UNIR).
Her PhD was on easy audiovisual media services for all (UAB). She is deputy director of the Professional College of Translation and Interpretation of SDI in Munich (Germany).
She led the project co-funded by EU Live Text Access, which aimed to create certified learning materials for real-time intralingual subtitlers through respeaking and velotyping
SANDRA MARQUES
Responsible for the area of innovation, research and development of FENACERCI. Since 1998 she has been developing, translating and adapting easy-to-read documents, having been involved in the European project that resulted in inclusion Europe’s European guidelines for easy reading.
She is responsible for the adaptation to easy reading of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with
Disabilities, having developed several training curricula for people with intellectual disabilities and multidisability, as well as adapted other material, such as political programmes. Since 2008, she has been a trainer in the area of cognitive accessibility.
TATJANA KNAPP
She holds a degree in cultural anthropology and has also studied art therapy and social work, and she is director and project coordinator of the RISA Institute, The General, Functional and Cultural Literacy Center of Slovenia.
She was the first president of the Association for Adapted Communication LABRA. Her main areas of work and interest are Easy Language, research on disability from the point of view of anthropology and social service and the defense of the rights of people with disabilities.
ULLA BOHMAN
She holds a degree in Cultural Sciences from Uppsala University, with a degree in Educational Psychology and Drama.
She was director of the Easy Languages Service at the Swedish Easy Reading Centre between 2001- 2014 and a collaborator of the Swedish Agency for Accessible Means between 2015-2018.
Since 2018 she is a consultant at Boarve konsult AB, offering training and lectures in Easy Language, accessibility and human rights, as well as in easy language editing services.
She has experience in accessible and intercultural communication and has been invited to pray and give workshops at various international conferences.