A guide to create accessible documents with and for children

Coming soon - A practical framework for organisations, institutions, and professionals working with children to transform complex documents into materials that are understandable, engaging, and truly inclusive.

Children's participation is increasingly central to policies, strategies, and decisions that affect their lives. But once consultation documents are published, they often remain difficult for children to access and understand: complex language, long reports, and technical formats can shut children out of the very policies they helped shape.

Accessible documents are inseparable from meaningful participation. By reducing barriers and involving children throughout the process, it is possible to create materials that more children can understand, use, and connect with meaningfully.

This guide combines practical accessibility tips with a child participation and inclusion approach, structured like a recipe:

• The Equipment: the people and conditions needed for meaningful results.
• The Ingredients: the essential elements of an accessible document.
• The Method: six practical steps to guide the process from start to finish.

The guide was developed by Eurochild and the Learning for Wellbeing Foundation, building on lessons learned while working with the Eurochild Children's Council to create a child-friendly version of the European Guidelines on Mental Health and Wellbeing at School, in cooperation with the European Commission.

The aim isn't a "perfect" document, but one that allows more children to understand, use, and feel included in policy that affects them.

Final version coming in August.