KVK makes information easier to understand

In the Netherlands, three million people aged 16 to 75 struggle with reading, writing, and/or working with numbers. As a result, they are often less good at digital work too, according to the Stichting Lezen en Schrijven (Reading and Writing Foundation). There are also business owners and people who want to start a business who have trouble reading and writing. For them, understanding information about taxes, licences, staff, or international trade can be a big challenge.

Reading help on all advice pages

On the advice pages of the KVK website, visitors can have texts read aloud, get explanations of hard words, and read a summary in plain language. The reading aid is available on all KVK advice pages, including the pages in English. In this way, KVK helps entrepreneurs find information more quickly, understand it better, and use it more easily. KVK is the first Dutch government organisation to offer support on such a large scale for reading and understanding online information.

Developed with the help of the Stichting Lezen en Schrijven

To introduce the reading aid, the KVK collaborated with the Stichting Lezen en Schrijven. Through this organisation, the KVK spoke to people who struggle with reading and writing. This enabled the team to tailor the reading aid better to their needs and experiences. Jacco Vonhof, chair of the Stichting Lezen en Schrijven: “Running a business means making new choices every day. So information really must be understandable to everyone. Millions of Dutch people struggle with reading and writing. You do not always notice this, but it makes a big difference in their ability to take part in society and to run a business. Public organisations, in particular, have a responsibility to make information accessible.”

Information that is useful to everyone

Astrid Ponsioen, adviser at KVK: "In my talks with entrepreneurs, I often see that understanding information is not easy for everyone. Yet entrepreneurs need that information to make choices and run their business well. As a public organisation, we believe it is important that our information is accessible to as many people as possible. With this reading aid, we make it easier for entrepreneurs who struggle with reading and writing to find and understand the information they need without outside help.”

An entrepreneur’s experience

Low literacy is often invisible. Many people have learnt to hide their reading and writing difficulties. Dick Voogd, language ambassador at the Stichting Lezen en Schrijven and owner of a business that grows plants, knows this from personal experience: “You try to hide it for years.

Many people feel ashamed and do not ask for help. Yet, as a business owner, I know that you cannot avoid forms, rules, and information. So it helps a lot when hard words are explained or texts are offered in simple language. That builds trust and makes it possible for you to do things by yourself.”

Tips for making your website accessible to people with low literacy skills

KVK has prepared a list of tips to help make your website more accessible to people with low literacy skills.