Putting the human into health literacy
…for a moment and we need to be human. The science behind a story Situational storytelling has impact on the reader. If you can share information by way of a…
2020 ClearMark Award Winners
…for Civic Design Covid Category Award of Distinction COVID-19 Answers General Services Administration Technology Transformation Services Crime Prevention Ottawa & partners with Plainly Speaking – Unsafe at Home Ottawa Plainly…
2016 ClearMarks finalists
2016 ClearMark Awards: See the Complete List of Finalists Center for Plain Language will announce winners May 10 WASHINGTON, DC, May 2, 2016— The Center for Plain Language has announced…
Homepage real estate …or, Battle of the bulletin board
…co-chair of the Plain Language Action and Information Network (PLAIN) and the General Service Administration’s Plain Language Launcher. She is also a plain language trainer, frequently featured on Digital Gov…
Positive language makes our brains happier
…our brains happy. About the author: Deborah S. Bosley is the Owner and Principal at the Plain Language Group. She is a board member at The Center for Plain Language….
ClearMarks – Judging Criteria (Spanish)
…much room to improve. Applies plain language principles consistently and effectively. Distribution: 20 percent of the work we review. 3 – Average A competent example of plain language. Some more…
Tips for ClearMark Awards Submissions
We’re pleased to announce the annual ClearMark Awards for the best in plain language communication. Show the world your best plain language work! Winners will be announced on October 2nd…
Workshops and Webinars
…Listening to the Legends: Pioneers of Plain Language. In this special conversation, pioneers of the plain language movement reflected on how the field began, the lessons they learned along the…
Why blame the patient?
…helps people write in plain language. We celebrate their successes by awarding the annual ClearMark award for clear communication. In 2010, Health Wise won the grand prize, and we hope…
H&R Block’s war on taxpayers
…will have to pay for it, because only paid tax preparers (like H&R Block) can tell you whether you qualify (and never mind the fact that “paid tax preparers were…
Contracts for the modern age
…for web site designers writing contracts for work with clients, but it provides good advice for anyone writing contracts. “If we want to address the readability problems unique to our…
The Awards are coming! The Awards are coming!
Here’s an opportunity to spend a wonderful evening with other plain language advocates and practitioners. Each year, the Center for Plain Language gives the ClearMark Award to print and online…
Time Privacy Policy
We helped TIME.com evaluate internet-based companies’ privacy policies to determine how well they followed plain language guidelines. How Did We Evaluate the Internet-Based Companies? Using expert judges and Acrolinx, an…
Good policy needs more than 140 characters
…explained in 140 character blasts. Plain language and complexity are not mutually exclusive. In fact, in an effort to be brief, more confusion can be created. Sometimes we need complexity…
ClearMark Awards: How to Enter
…and Blogs (mailed or digital) Legal, Rights, and Policy Communications Posters, Flyers, and Infographics (1 page) Fact Sheets Lay Summaries Forms and Applications Presentations Books and Guides Websites French Spanish…