Accessible communication comprises all measures employed to reduce communication barriers in various situations and fields of activity. Disabilities, illnesses, different educational opportunities and/or major life events can result in vastly different requirements in terms of how texts or messages must be prepared in order to meet the individual needs and access conditions of the recipients of accessible communication. This handbook examines and critically reflects accessible communication in its interdisciplinary breadth. Current findings, proposed solutions and research desiderata are juxtaposed with reports from practitioners and users, who provide insights into how they deal with accessible communication and highlight current and future requirements and problems.

Christiane Maaß, University of Hildesheim, is the Professor of Media Linguistics in the Department for Translation Studies and Specialized Communication and head of the Master’s programme Accessible Communication. She is also the Director of the German Research Centre for Easy Language. Isabel Rink, University of Hildesheim, is a tenured lecturer at the Department for Translation Studies and Specialized Communication. She is the Programme Coordinator of the Master’s programme Accessible Communication.