UNITY: making the justice system easier to understand
Legal processes and court documents are often complicated to comprehend. No matter if you are involved in court cases as a victim, a witnesses, or a defendant, the information can be hard to grasp. For persons with intellectual disabilities, it may become overwhelming.
To bridge some of these challenges, the UNITY project has been awarded EU-level funding to research, develop guidance and train legal professionals. UNITY stands for Universal Court Documentation for Accessible Information for Vulnerable Victims and is lead by Validity Foundation. The Funka Foundation is contributing to the project with accessibility expertise.
The right to understand information is often overlooked in judicial proceedings, yet it is essential for the participation of persons with disabilities. UNITY brings together a multidisciplinary consortium to tackle this systemic issue, combining expertise in disability rights, support of victims, and accessibility as well as the opportunities offered by AI to support a more inclusive justice system, says Axel Le Hô, project officer at Validity Foundation.
In the project, partners will review current procedures and develop guidance and practical tools based on EU standards. Based on the results, we will build capacity of justice professionals to produce legal documents using plain language, easy-to-read formats, and augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) symbols. We will explore technical solutions including AI to support the transition towards better accessibility. In addition, the project activities will aim to improve communication and collaboration between court and victim support services, disability organisations, accessibility experts and justice professionals.
Access to justice is a crucial topic that doesn’t get enough attention, says Susanna Laurin, Managing Director and Chair, Funka Foundation. We look forward to collaborating with Validy and project partners to enhance the situation for persons with disabilities.
The UNITY project is co-funded by the European Commission DG JUST during 24 months, starting June 2026.
Contact
If you would like to know more about the project, please contact project manager Sara Kjellstrand.