
The power of simple words
The introduction to this fun video of popular songs with unplain lyrics says, using "long, fancy words designed to show off your intelligence and vocabulary are all very well, but they aren't always the best words." In this short, playful video Terin Izil explains why simple, punchy language is often ...
Read this article
Read this article

The Plain Regulations Act, HR 3786: Making Federal Regulations Accessible
On January 18, Congressman Bruce Braley (D-Iowa) introduced the Plain Regulations Act. Braley also introduced the Plain Writing Act, which became law on October 13, 2010, with strong bipartisan support. The original draft of that Act had covered regulations, but the provision was deleted during the legislative process because of ...
Read this article
Read this article

“Summary of Benefits and Coverage” brings clarity to health plan
At last, consumers will have a “Summary of Benefits and Coverage” as a standardized, plain language tool to understand their health plans. Under a rule announced last week by HHS, health insurers are now required to provide consumers with clear, consistent, and comparable summary information. Here’s the link: http://cciio.cms.gov/resources/files/Files2/02102012/blank-sbc-template-finalpdf.pdf Testing ...
Read this article
Read this article

No more 10-4: Police codes switched to Plain Language
Maryland is the latest state to eliminate the 10-codes in favor of using plain language to make it easier to communicate during emergencies and with other, non-police, departments. For example, instead of saying “10-46,” police will now say “disabled vehicle.” In addition to confusion over the codes themselves, not all ...
Read this article
Read this article

The power of words
The power of words to change how people hear a message. Change your words. Change your world. This short film is from a web content agency in the UK. See the video on YouTube for credits. ...
Read this article
Read this article

Plain language = more than words
This article on the role of pictures in health literacy underscores the fact that plain language is about more than just the words we use – it’s about the way we present information, too. Layout and design is just as important as language, and can have a huge effect on ...
Read this article
Read this article

Center for Plain Language board members win awards
We don't usually post information about our individual board members, but two recent awards merit mention. The Center and its members are so proud of these accomplishments! ...
Read this article
Read this article

Why blame the patient?
by Joanne Locke On March 1, the Washington Post published an article by Sandra Boodman’s on the need for clear health communication: “When Understanding is Critical” She describes the some serious problems that can result when patients don’t understand how to comply with their doctor’s instructions. But she seems to ...
Read this article
Read this article