Dealing with the “dumb down” dinosaur, or how to enlighten the ignorant without losing your job.
It continues to shock me that in the year 2014 I still hear people say, “Oh, you want to dumb down my writing” when the subject of plain language comes up.
My reaction is…
Analysis: The high cost of gobbledygook
In an op ed originally published in Government Executive, Congressman Bruce Braley, the author of the Plain Writing Act of 2010, writes about the problems and costs of confusing government language, and about the role of the Center’s report card in addressing the issue.
Plain Language Report Card
Reposted from www.healthwise.org Karen Baker, MHS, Senior Vice President, 11/25/2013 Plain language has been making headlines—in the world beyond health care! Last week was report card time for federal agencies. The Center for Plain Language, a nonprofit volunteer organization based in Washington, D.C., graded 20 agencies and departments for compliance with the Plain Writing Act. President […]
PLAIN 2013: From Vancouver, the future looks clear
Heading back from the biennial conference of the Plain Language Association International (which was absolutely fantastic, by the way), I found my thoughts coming back to one presentation more than any other: Neil James’s look ahead at what the next 5 years may hold for plain language. James’s thesis is that a host of […]
Ever get lost in an official or legal document?
In his newest column in the Legal Writing Editor (legalwritingeditor.com) Professor Joseph Kimble asks if there are any writers out there who think that the “mere style” of official and legal documents doesn’t matter much to readers. Are there any writers who think that attitudes toward style are all subjective and that no hard evidence […]
There’s no ease in legalese
Matthew Salzwedel offers some great tips and persuasive advocacy in his online column, most recently Simple Legal Writing Isn’t Baby-Talk. One answer to Matthew’s question, Can Legalese Tank Business Deals?, came from management consultant, Lyn Boxall. Read her full response at the end of Matthew’s column. In Asia, Boxall says, US-style legal documents can mar good business […]
Hawkeye Pierce pierces barriers between scientists and the rest of us
Earlier this year, CBS Sunday Morning interviewed actor and professor Alan Alda about his efforts to help science students learn to speak to people in language they can understand. After he hosted “Scientific American Frontiers” on PBS, he heard from policy makers, including Congressmembers, who keeping saying that they can’t understand the scientists who come to talk […]
New Resource: We ❤ Health Literacy
Our friends at CommunicateHealth just announced the launch of We ❤ Health Literacy, a new weekly email full of health literacy-related tips and tricks. Their goal is to spread the word about health literacy and get people excited about making health information accessible. The posts will range from getting around tricky jargon terms to enhancing […]
Join a host of Plain Language experts at the 20th Anniversary of PLAIN
Join a group of inspiring presenters and committed plain language advocates by attending the PLAIN2013 conference in Vancouver, October 10-13. http://www.plain2013.org/ Plain Language Association InterNational (PLAIN) is the leading international organization devoted to plain-language and information design. We are celebrating 20 years of advocacy around the world. Our speaker list includes presenters from Spain, Portugal, […]
Center for Plain Language honors March of Dimes with the Grand ClearMark Award; Charles Schwab captures the Grand WonderMark Award
Washington, DC – A March of Dimes brochure that effectively reaches its target audience with clear, concise writing and excellent graphics was honored with the Center for Plain Language’s Grand ClearMark Award as the best example of clear, concise communication. ACharles Schwab magazine ad captured the overall WonderMark Award for the most confusing and complex language. The awards were […]
Save the date – Spring Workshops
We’ll offer two 3-hour workshops on April 22, 2014. We’ll send out a survey in early 2014 to choose our topics.
Tufts Health Literacy Leadership Institute
Date June 11-15, 2018 https://publichealth.tufts.edu/graduate-programs/professional-development/hcom-professional-development/health-literacy-leadership Enroll now in the Health Literacy Leadership Institute. Offered through the Health Communication Program at Tufts University School of Medicine, this one-week Institute is essential for health communication specialists and educators committed to improving the health literacy skills of health care providers and consumers. Participants learn from faculty and guest instructors highly […]
Let’s simplify legal jargon!
This TED Talk from February 2010 can still inspire us. Alan Siegel, a branding expert and one of the leading authorities on business communication, calls for the use of plain English to create documents that we can all understand. In this video, he present a clear argument for the need to “make clarity, simplicity and […]
PLAIN2013 Call for presenters ends February 28
PLAIN2013, an international plain language conference, invites submissions through February 28, 2013. The conference focuses on new skills, knowledge, research, and best practices to advance plain language. “Plenary speakers from around the globe will cover topics like the future avenues for plain language, recent research findings, design of an international training program, ethical issues, and […]
Health design challenge could help VA to make the grade on Plain Language
The US Government recently invited designers and developers to redesign the patient health record. The goal of the Health Design Challenge was to improve the presentation and usability of the record currently used by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and other groups. Over 230 entries were submitted. The winning entries used dynamic content, informative […]