Way back in 1998, Vice President Gore signed a memo setting up expectations that information from the Federal government would be easy for the public to understand.
Search Results for: awards
2022 Federal Plain Language Report Card
This is the 11th time the Center for Plain Language has issued a yearly Report Card evaluating how well agencies follow the Plain Writing Act. We evaluated 21 Executive Branch agencies, including all 15 cabinet-level departments. Agencies earned grades between A and F for both organizational compliance, covering the staffing, training, and annual reporting required […]
Who Did the Grading in 2021?
The Center would like to thank the following volunteers who gave their time and expertise to review pages for the 2021 Federal Report Card. You have made the world a little clearer. David Lipscomb (lead judge), Vice Chair of the Center for Plain Language, is also a board member of the International Plain Language Federation. […]
A look back at the extraordinary 2020 competition for a ClearMark
2020 was an unusual and challenging year in the history of the ClearMarks. Everyone’s focus was on creating new plain language materials to meet pressing needs—and, in turn, to celebrate those materials and their important impact on their audiences – we opened a separate COVID-19 category.
2020 ClearMark Award Winners
Winners were celebrated at the Access for All: Plain Language is a Civil Right virtual conference. 2020 Grand Winner Healthy Michigan Plan Work Requirements Exemption Form Healthy Michigan Plan Work Letters MAXIMUS Center for Health Literacy, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services(MDHHS) 2020 Category Winners COVID-19 Special Category COVID-19 Kidney & Transplant Patient Guide […]
Happy 10th Anniversary Plain Writing Act
The Plain Writing Act is turning 10 years old on October 13, 2020. The Act gave U.S. federal employees the legal oomph to turn the stereotype that government writing is overly complicated, stilted, and obtuse on its head. No longer was plain language just a good idea that could easily be tossed aside for lack of time or tacked on the end of a project as if it were synonymous with proofreading.