Name / Title of intervention. 1. Abstract

Transcription

1 Name / Title of intervention 1. Abstract An abstract of a maximum of 300 words is useful to provide a summary description of the practice State subsidy for easy-to-read literature Selkokeskus, the Finnish Centre for Easy-to-Read (ETR), allocates annual grants for authors creating easily understandable books, and financial assistance for their publishers. The funds for this are part of the state subsidy granted by Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture to the Finnish Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (FAIDD). The aim is to encourage publication of easily understandable literature in Finland. Writers, illustrators, tactile book creators and easy-to-read publishers are entitled to apply for financial support. Development and research projects on easy-to-read literature may also be entitled to receive financial aid, with some limitations. The grants are awarded by the Easy-to-Read expert group which includes an expert on illustration, several writers, and representatives of various reader groups. The grants are used to publish fiction and non-fiction books for readers of different ages who find the other books too difficult to read and understand. Some of the books are adaptations of existing books, including literary classics. With necessary adaptations, literary culture can be made accessible for new reader groups. The Easy-to-Read expert group allocates grants and funding based on applications and book samples. The group also coordinates easy-to-read book production and monitors the quality of the books. The Easy-to-Read expert group works under The Finnish Centre for easy to Read, but not under The Ministry of Education and Culture. This guarantees its independence. Part of the state subsidy is allocated to promoting easy-to-read books at book fairs and other events. Without this financial aid, it would not be profitable to produce easily understandable literature, as the editions tend to remain small. Publishers of different easy-to-read materials may apply for a licence to use the Easy-to-Read logo on their materials. The Finnish Centre for Easy-to-Read grants the licence for easily understandable brochures and magazines. It also permits the licence for easily understandable webpages, together with the Papunet Internet service. The Easy-to-Read logo is a nation-wide symbol. The Ministry of Education and Culture has appointed the right to assign the licence to the Finnish Centre for Easy-to-Read. In order to be entitled to use the logo, publications and materials must follow criteria set for easy-to-read literature. The criteria concern the language, illustrations and layout of the materials. The logo is 1

2 free of charge. 2. Nation Finland The Easy-to-Read logo is an essential part of quality monitoring of easily understandable books. Thanks to the logo, a reader can quickly conclude that the publication fulfils the easy-to-read criteria. 3. Website 4. Lead organisation The Finnish Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (FAIDD), The Finnish centre for Easy-to-Read which is part of FAIDD. 5. Main partners The Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture 6. Period of activity ongoing activity 7. Language(s) Finnish, Swedish 8. Conceptual basis of the good practice examples Please give a short description, and references or links to important documents. There is very little research on easy-to-read-literature, so the conceptual basis of this practice is practical rather than scientific. In each country in EU, 25 % of the population has limited reading skills (European commission Report 2012). There is no statistics concerning the need for easy-to-read on EU-level. In Finland, according to the estimation of The Finnish Centre for Easy-to-Read (2014), 8 12 % of the Finnish population need easily understandable materials. More specifically, 8 12 % of children and teenagers, 6 10 % of the adult population and % of people over the age of 65 years. This estimation was made before the new refugee situation, which raises the need for ETR literature considerably. The concept of the state subsidy for ETR literature in Finland is based on the fact that although the need for ETR books increases, publishers and authors are unwilling to produce ETR books, as they are uneconomical to produce in small numbers. People with reading difficulties are often disadvantaged in finding suitable reading material. Usually, they are not familiar in getting acquainted with new books (lack of information), they might be used to look after other activities than reading (lack of interest) and they often have less money to spend on books than readers with normal reading skills (lack of financial resources). These factors make them a less attractive target group for publishing houses and authors. To produce ETR 2

3 books solely on market-base seems to be too risky for both authors and publishing houses of ETR-books. This degrades the ETR-literature as a genre. To reduce the economic risk of publishing ETR books, the Finnish government has created a subsidy system that treats all publishing houses, illustrators and authors of ETR literature equally. The system leaves the door open for the creativity of the authors and publishing houses. The subsidy does not cover all the costs the ETR book, so the authors and publishers need to make their best effort in creating a good book that will sell well. In order to guarantee the quality of ETR literature, the subsidy system must not heavily chain the artistic process of producing a book. ETR literature should not be prescribed or ordered by municipalities, but guided and supported by experts with knowledge of ETR literature and readers with limited reading skills. 9. Objectives To support publication of easy-to-read books and to produce books for people who - for one reason or another - have difficulties in reading, e.g. disabled people, elderly people (particularly those suffering from dementia) and immigrants learning Finnish and Swedish. 10. Target group(s) (Please indicate which age groups or school grades are specifically targeted by the intervention) 11. Number of people involved (e.g. % of the total population of the country or of the total target population, if a specific target has been set) 12. Methods for recruiting participants (target group) Writers and publishers apply for the grant but the books are targeted at people who have difficulties in reading (see above). The ETR logo can be applied by anyone producing easy-toread materials. The materials can be targeted to any age group but adults are a major target group. Persons needing ETR literature (8 12 % of the population) The ETR literature expert group (8 members) Publishers of ETR books (4 8 publishing houses) Authors / writers (20 40 professionals) Illustrators (20 40 professionals) Information about the state subsidy and grant is given on the website of the Finnish Centre for Easy-to-Read, through writers associations, the website of the Ministry of Education and 3

4 (if applicable) Culture and directly to publishers. To inform the readers of easy-to-read books, part of the state subsidy is allocated to promoting easy-to-read books at book fairs and other events. The books are easily available in libraries, bookshops and institutes where some of the target groups may live. The Finnish Centre for Easy-to-Read informs people about the logo, the application process and the meaning of the logo on their web site and in any training events or activities the Centre is involved with. 13. Professionals involved (e.g. teachers, librarians, volunteers, health care professionals, social workers, artists,) 14. Role of each professional Describe briefly Applicants: Authors, illustrators and publishers ETR literature expert group Authors: Apply for the state subsidy for authors of easy-to-read books by sending an application and sample of a manuscript for the ETR book s/he is about to write to the ETR literature expert group. The text in the book has to follow the principles of ETR literature. Illustrators: Apply for the state subsidy for illustrators of easy-toread books by sending an application and sample of illustrations for the ET -book s/he is about to illustrate to the ETR literature expert group. The illustrations have to follow the graphic principles of the ETR literature. Publishers: Apply for the state subsidy for publishers of easy-toread books by sending an application and detailed information, such as the costs for the ETR book that will be published, to the ETR literature expert group. The layout has to follow the principles of ETR publications. The ETR literature expert group: The expert group consists of members of the Union of Finnish Writers, The Finnish Association of Non-fiction Writer, The Finnish Library Association, The Society of Swedish Authors in Finland and The committee of The Finnish Centre for Easy to Read. The group has also an expert in book layout and graphics and a secretary. The group considers each application and decides whether the subsidy is granted, gives out 4

5 information about ETR books to libraries, teachers, therapists, caregivers and reader groups. 15. Main activities (Please describe briefly, referring to time lines or sequences if applicable) 16. Implementation process Please describe any phases of implementation related to progressive scalingup or addressing different topics To grant the state subsidy, to monitor the quality of easy-toread books, to inform stakeholders about the easy-to-read books and grant the easy-to-read logo to literary works. The Finnish Centre for Easy-to-Read grants the logo for publications and materials that follow criteria set for easy to read materials. The criteria concern the language, illustrations and layout of the materials. The authors, illustrators and publishers apply for the annual subsidy by sending an application to the ETR literature expert group. The application includes information about the ETR book under planning and a sample of the manuscript, illustrations and layout of the book. The ETR literature expert group gets acquainted with the applications and evaluates them according to - the quality as literature or non-fiction, - whether the book follows the linguistic and graphic principles given for an ETR-book - the suitability for different reader groups of ETR books. It then decides which applications will be allocated the subsidy and whether they recommend some changes to the manuscript, illustrations or layout of the book being planned. When the new ETR books are published, they can use the national ETR logo on the cover and are included in the promotion of new ETR books. Information about ETR books can be found on ETR book website, in an annually published brochure and in seminars, trainings and meetings. 17. Resources and materials List / describe the main resources used in your programme, and give links for accessing them, if applicable Basic information about the states subsidy for ETR-literature: The database of ETR books published in Finland since 1984: The ETR-book site: The ETR-book brochure : 5

6 content/uploads/2015/10/selkokirjaesite_small.pdf 18. Financing - Where do the funds for the intervention come from? How much per year / for the whole time? The Ministry of Education and Culture provides the funding for the easy-to-read activities as a state subsidy from the government budget. The sum varies on a yearly basis but recently it has been 75,000 Euros per year. The grants are awarded by the Easy-to-Read expert group. - Who makes decisions about budget allocation? 19. Evaluation - Is there currently an evaluation of the ongoing intervention? Who is conducting it (external or internal entity)? Which methodology is being used? (Indicators, periodicity, design, sample / control group, quantitative and qualitative methods, etc.) 20. Anything else we think you should know... The use of funds is reported to The Finnish Centre for Easy-to- Read and to the Ministry of Education and Culture. The quality of the easy-to-read books is monitored. There are applications per year for the logo, and 15 new easy-to-read literary books with the logo are published every year. Without the state subsidy easy-to-read books would not be published in Finland at all since this activity is not profitable for commercial publishers. This kind of logo is known in other countries, but it is usually publisher-specific. As far as we know, Finland is the only country where the logo is nation-wide and free for all publishers. 6

7 Part 2: Strengths/weaknesses 23. SWOT analyses Indicate strengths and weaknesses (usually internal), and opportunities and threats (usually external) of the programme 24. Political impact and policies - Has the intervention led to concrete changes in policies or government plans, legislation, funding? Briefly describe. Has it produced any crosssector/departmental policy-making and programme development? Strengths: The state subsidy has a long tradition (25 years); activities are co-ordinated by The Finnish Centre for Easy to Read which has expertise in easy Finnish and easy-to-read activities. Weaknesses: The Ministry of Education and Culture decides the amount of state subsidy on a yearly basis which means the sum varies; the number of publishers taking part in the activity is small and they are mostly small publishers, as big publishing houses have not published easy-to-read books. This intervention has helped to establish the easy-to-read literature as part of Finnish and Swedish-speaking literature. It has helped offer struggling readers who find books written in standard language too difficult accessible reading materials. Without the state subsidy this would not be possible. The continuous funding of the easy-to-read literature is a sign that the highest authorities in Finland consider this an important issue. - Transferability: Has the programme / intervention been transferred to another region/nation? Has it been modified during this transfer? 25. Your personal evaluation By what criteria do you consider the intervention to be which respects do you consider the intervention to be in need of further improvements / developments? The state subsidy for easy-to-read books provides struggling readers accessible literature which offers readers knowledge and experiences through which we can make the literary culture and tradition familiar to them and to new reader groups as well. 7