What is racism? Easy read information
The leaflet explains that racism is treating people unfairly because of their skin colour, religion, or way of life. It encourages everyone to be kind, learn about racism and speak up to stop it.
This leaflet may not be reproduced in whole or in part, without the permission of Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust
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Video audio and visual description
This transcript provides an audio and visual description of the video “What is racism?”
Audio Visual Imagine if everyone looked the same, spoke the same, and believed the same things. It would be quite dull, wouldn’t it? This video is a simple guide to help us understand racism and why respecting our differences makes the world a happier and more interesting place. An AI-generated narrator wearing a white blouse and an orange jacket is talking. On-screen text reads: “What is racism?” Everybody is different. People have different skin colour, different beliefs or religions. People wear different clothes and eat different foods. People speak different languages or have different accents. Images appear on screen: - A group of five people smiling and giving a thumbs up
- A mosque and a church
- Three people looking at different healthy foods
- Speech bubbles showing different languages
Racism is when someone is treated badly because of their skin colour, religion or way of life. Treating people differently for any of these reasons is racism. Racism happens everywhere and every day. - A woman shouting and pointing at another woman who is covering her eyes
- Three young people laughing and pointing at an older person
- A man and woman pointing at a woman with her arms out
Racism includes saying hurtful things, bullying, or ignoring someone because of their skin colour, religion or way of life. Racism is thinking that all people with the same skin colour, religion, or way of life behave, think or talk in the same way. - An angry man shouting and pointing
- A man and a woman standing back-to-back with arms folded
- Two smiling women facing each other with a thought cloud showing an equals sign
Racism can make people feel scared, sad or angry. Racism can affect people’s mental health and make people feel alone. Recognising the hurt caused by racism is the first step to stopping it. - A man crying
- A man looking angry
- A man with his arms crossed and head down, with thought clouds showing sadness, anger and fear
Hurting someone or calling them names because of their skin colour, religion or way of life is a hate crime. Hate crime is against the law. Staff must report hate crime to the police. The police may take people to court. - An aggressive man shouting at another man who is covering his ears
- A “No Racism” symbol with a red cross
- A police officer leading someone away
- A large court house building
So what can people do differently? Be kind to everyone. Listen to others. Tell someone you trust if you see racism. If you make a mistake, say sorry. You can say: “I’m sorry for what I did. You did not deserve that. What can I do better next time?” - A couple smiling
- A group of people sitting around a table listening and talking
- A man talking to a woman who is writing
- A couple shaking hands
What have you learned from watching this video? Are you worried about anything? Will you do anything differently? Be kind and listen to everyone, no matter their differences. There is no place for racism in our Trust. - A woman holding her arms out next to a question mark
- A woman thinking with a finger on her chin and empty thought clouds
This video was made using a computer programme. The narrator is not a real person. The information shared can be found in the Trust’s Easy Read leaflet “What is racism”. You can find it in the resource library on the Trust website or ask a member of staff for a copy. Resource library: www.cntw.nhs.uk/resource-library
Leaflet reference: PIC/938/1025 – October 2025 (v1)
Review date: 2028