The trend of government agencies shifting towards simpler, text-based websites has gained popularity, especially as findings show that intentional, thoughtful digital service design can make the user experience accessible — and it’s a way to center inclusion for those with cognitive differences.
“Writing in plain language means that you’re sharing information that people can find, understand and use,” explained Shuly Babitz, health communications strategist for the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), during one of the event sessions.
Essentially, this means using concise sentences, avoiding technical jargon and acronyms, and expecting users to scan the content. Complete plain language guidelines can be found online.
Legislation mandates that federal government agencies write in plain language through two key pieces: the Plain Writing Act of 2010 and the 21st Century Integrated Digital Experience Act (IDEA). And while this legislation applies to federal government, experts say the positive impacts of plain language can benefit state and local governments, too.
WHY PLAIN LANGUAGE MATTERS
As Babitz further explained, plain language makes information accessible, and for agencies that serve the public, this will help individuals connect with the information, services and products they need.
In website design, Karnell noted that an effective website redesign is an iterative process, finding what was not working before and trying alternative solutions to make it work better for the user.
“You’re going to create a foundation and you’re going to then leverage that foundation to improve and improve and improve, because the work isn’t done,” she said.
To build support for plain language in an organization, Babitz suggested sharing the purpose and results; this could involve an email campaign to back up effectiveness claims with hard data.
PLAIN LANGUAGE AND INCLUSION
“[Plain language and people-first language] are not opposing concepts, but rather it’s a union, a partnership,” said Donna Ledbetter, writer/editor at the National Institute of Corrections, during one session.
Person-first language, or intentional word choice to help think about a person as a person before describing them with their other defining characteristics, is another way government agencies can center inclusion in their written content.
Ledbetter explained that this shift to people-first language has been years in the making, as word choice can have a psychological impact on how people view themselves and others.
When thinking about brevity in plain language efforts, word choice is a critical component to ensure that content is both understood and inclusive.
Regarding inclusion and accessibility, agencies should keep in mind that some users may have low literacy skills, which can help inform design decisions. Sheila Walsh, public affairs specialist with the Department of Health and Human Services, underlined that this applies to more than websites, as plain language can improve all types of digital content.
“You never know when your plain language writing can have a positive impact on someone,” Walsh said.
As Walsh explained in a session, these users can be supported through plain language, varying typography and adding images to help improve clarity and understanding.
Thinking further about typography decisions, Library of Congress digital accessibility architect Dr. Rachael Bradley Montgomery recommended using sans serif fonts, avoiding underlines for content that is not a hyperlink and considering line heights and margins.
And if the digital products or interfaces allow user preferences for presentation, make sure users are aware of the personalization options by using clear instructions, Montgomery suggested.
