What Easy Language is – and what it is not
Easy Language (Leichte Sprache) is not simply more basic German; it follows the rulebook of the Netzwerk Leichte Sprache, which is binding for certified providers. The specific requirements: short sentences, one idea per sentence, no foreign or technical words, no metaphors, no passive constructions. On top of that come design rules for font size, line spacing and the use of images. DIN SPEC 33429 (March 2025) brings these recommendations together in a technical specification for the first time.
Plain Language (Einfache Sprache) is often confused with it. Since May 2024 it, too, has an official standard: DIN 8581-1. Unlike Easy Language, Plain Language is aimed at a broader audience and does not require checking by the target group. More on Easy Language: rules, target group and the legal basis.
Who needs Easy Language?
- Public authorities and public bodies – Under Section 11 BGG, federal authorities are required to provide information in Easy Language. BITV 2.0 mandates explanatory notes on the home page and in the accessibility statement.
- Companies subject to the BFSG – Since June 2025, e-commerce, banking, telecommunications and passenger transport have had to communicate accessibly. The BFSG does not require Easy Language, but clear texts are becoming a necessity. Everything about the BFSG in detail.
- Organisations with an accessibility statement – Anyone required to publish a BITV-compliant statement also needs the Easy Language version.
- Agencies with public-sector clients – Anyone who wants to win public-authority contracts has to be able to deliver accessible communication.
What AI cannot do here
Language models can simplify texts. They cannot produce Easy Language.
- AI does not reliably stick to the rulebook – sentence lengths, word choice and design regularly deviate.
- Easy Language requires checking by the target group. No algorithm can replace that.
- The design requirements (images, layout, font size) lie outside what text models can deliver.
- For compliance-relevant texts, the client is liable. "The AI did it" is no defence.
What I offer
I translate existing texts into Easy Language or write new texts from scratch, including the source texts in standard language. Specifically:
- Easy Language texts for websites, brochures and forms
- Texts for accessibility statements to BITV 2.0
- Source texts in standard language as the basis for the translation
- Advice on further quality assurance
The full Easy Language process includes a review by a checking group drawn from the target audience. This review is not part of my service, but I am happy to advise you on how to organise this step. More on the checking-group process.
References: German Future Prize and funding guide
For the German Future Prize, one of Germany's most prestigious science and innovation awards, presented by the Federal President in person, I translated Frank-Walter Steinmeier's foreword and the texts of all six nominated teams from 2024 and 2025 into Easy Language.
In 2024 the prize went to ams OSRAM and Fraunhofer for intelligent LED technology. In 2025 it went to Robert Bosch for emission-free fuel-cell drives. The Easy Language texts are published on the Future Prize website under accessibility.
For the DARP funding guide in a Federal Ministry of Finance / PD context, I also worked on source texts and Easy Language content. The funding guide is publicly available; the website names the Federal Ministry of Finance, PD and NextGenerationEU as the project context.