The Estonian Human Rights Centre has for the first time published an easy-read summary (in Estonian) of the key themes from the report “Human Rights in Estonia 2026”.

In a democratic society, every person is treated with respect, regardless of their skin colour, sexual orientation, disability or any other characteristic. According to Estonian Human Rights Centre’s director Egert Rünne, the easy-read leaflet is a step towards including in public debate those people who have so far been left out of it.

“Expressing things clearly can be challenging, because formal texts are somehow assumed by default to be complex,” says Rünne. “Texts dealing with human rights also tend to contain more abstract concepts than average. Yet being aware of human rights and what is happening to them matters to every person in Estonia. The leaflet introducing the latest human rights report is the first, but certainly not the last step the Estonian Human Rights Centre will take in this direction.”

The easy-read summary is intended for everyone who wishes to learn about the state of human rights in Estonia in an accessible, easy-to-understand way.

The texts were adapted into easy-read language by the NGO Vaimupuu and tested by clients of the Vahtra Support Centre at Rapla Care Centre.

“All people have the right to understand what is happening in society, including those who have difficulty with complex texts. Easy-read language, as one aspect of accessibility, helps take into account the needs of these people too,” says Vaimupuu editor-in-chief Janek Muru. “The direct target group for easy-read language is people with mild intellectual disabilities, but more broadly it benefits everyone who has difficulty reading: teenagers, older people, foreigners who are still learning the local language, and also ordinary people who want to access information quickly, since an easy-read text is essentially a summary of the original,” adds Vaimupuu language editor Kerttu Rakke.

More detailed information on all topics can be found in the full version of the report “Human Rights in Estonia 2026”, produced under the leadership of the Human Rights Centre. Fifteen experts or expert organisations from different fields contributed to the publication. The report is an independent and authoritative account of the human rights situation in Estonia, published with the support of Human Rights Centre donors since 2007.