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You are here: Home / 2020 Federal Plain Language Report Card / What we Graded

What we Graded

 

Urgent Help Pages

In 2020, we are re-grading the “urgent help” pages we had graded in 2019. When we selected these pages last year, we identified an agency-specific topic people would most likely search for when in need. We googled a phrase users would likely use (For the Department of Homeland Security, we searched, “Help! A hurricane is coming”) and then we chose the first entry in the search results from the relevant agency’s domain, as long as it was a page giving instructions for a public audience. 

Coronavirus Pages

The pandemic has highlighted the public’s need for government information that is relevant, findable, understandable, and usable.  That’s why we were pleased to learn that DHS instructed federal agencies who were part of the government’s pandemic response to “stand up an agency.gov/coronavirus page.”  All agencies that we evaluated this year published a Coronavirus page.  Interior’s page is more specialized than others, focusing on the pandemic needs of wildfire firefighters

Page Links by Agency

Agency Urgent Help Pages

Coronovirus Pages

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Help! Lender discriminated against me on a mortgage application Covid 19 webpage
Department of Agriculture Help! My kids need free meals at school Covid 19 webpage
Department of Commerce Help! I’m being asked to be part of a survey.
They say it’s from the Census Bureau.
How do I know if it really is legitimate?
Covid 19 webpage
Department of Defense Help! I’ve lost my military ID card. What do I do? Covid 19 webpage
Department of Education Help! I don’t know what FERPA is. Covid 19 webpage
Department of Energy Help! How do I prepare for a power outage? Covid 19 webpage
Department of Health and Human Services Need help, opioids. Covid 19 webpage
Department of Homeland Security  Help! A hurricane is coming. Covid 19 webpage
Department of Housing and Urban Development Help! I need affordable housing. Covid 19 webpage
Department of Justice Help! should I report a ransomware attack to the FBI? Covid 19 webpage
Department of Labor Help! My workplace is dangerous. Covid 19 webpage
Department of the Interior Help! Can I drink the water in this national park? Covid 19 webpage
Department of State Help! Where’s my passport? Covid 19 webpage
Department of Transportation Help! Can I still drive if my airbag is recalled? Covid 19 webpage
Department of Treasury Help! IRS agent says he will call police if I don’t pay.  Covid 19 webpage
Department of Veterans Affairs Help! Veteran thinking about suicide.  Covid 19 webpage
Environmental Protection Agency Help! A truck spilled chemical on our street.  Covid 19 webpage
National Archives Help! I need urgent proof my dad served in WWII. Covid 19 webpage
Securities and Exchange Commission Help! Is this investment a fraud? Covid 19 webpage
Small Business Association Help! I need an emergency business loan after a flood.  Covid 19 webpage
Social Security Administration:  Help! How do I get a new social security card? Covid 19 webpage

 

 

 

 

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