Dr. Annetta L. Cheek

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If you cant read it,you cant use it

• Usability and Plain Language
• June 17, 2008

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What is Plain Language?

• Material is in plain language if readers can

• Find what they need

• Understand what they find

• Use it to fulfill their needs

And they should be able to do this the first time
they read or hear it!
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A very important point

• Plain language is audience-focused
• You must know who your audience is, what they
  know, what they understand, what they need

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Use
Logical organization

• Informative headings

Active voice
Pronouns
Lists and tables
Common words
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Avoid

Abbreviations, jargon, legal terms, Latin
Confusing constructions
Unnecessary words
Information the audience doesnt need
Long sentences
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• Read more about these and other techniques at
• http//www.plainlanguage.gov/howto/guidelines/bigd
  oc/intro.cfm

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Heres a simplified table of contents

• Thinking about your audience
• Organizing your document
• Writing your document
• Words
• verbs
• nouns and pronouns
• other word issues
• Sentences
• Paragraphs
• Other aids to clarity
• Testing your Document

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In the event that a graffiti removal request is
reported that may not be the responsibility of
the County Department of Public Works, you will
be directed to the appropriate agency.
If you submit a request to remove graffiti that
is not our responsibility, we will direct you to
the right agency.
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• Easy access to information and resources
  concerning long-term care issues for seniors and
  the disabled has been made available on a new
  website developed by the County Department of
  Community and Senior Services.
• You can easily get information and resources on
  long-term care for seniors and the disabled on
  our new website.

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• Infants and children who drink water containing
  lead in excess of the action level could
  experience delays in their physical or mental
  development. Children could show slight deficits
  in attention span and learning abilities. Adults
  who drink this water over many years could
  develop kidney problems or high blood pressure.

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• The Department of Revenue saved 51,014 from
  avoided phone calls after clarifying their
  requirements.
• The Department of Weights and Measures collected
  an extra 144,000 after clarifying its payment
  instructions.
• The Department of Public Safetys incoming phone
  calls declined 90 percent after they clarified
  their instructions to fingerprint-card
  applicants.

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• We provide User Experience Design practitioners,
  focused on producing software artifacts and
  deliverables that maximize the impact of the end
  user experience.
• ABC is a small firm which leverages its
  capabilities through the association,
  cooperation, and coordination with a number of
  associate consultants, contractors and
  professionals in human factors, usability, and
  the development of interactive computer systems.

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• When youre looking for increased conversion
  rates and repeat visitors, our patented
  technology is the only customer experience
  solution that gives you the information you need,
  along with the recommendations to take action in
  order to improve user experience.

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• (1) In order more effectively to detect and
  interdict individuals known or reasonably
  suspected to be or have been engaged in conduct
  constituting, in preparation for, in aid of, or
  related to terrorism ("suspected terrorists") and
  terrorist activities, it is the policy of the
  United States to
• (a) enhance terrorist-related screening (as
  defined below) through comprehensive, coordinated
  procedures that detect, identify, track, and
  interdict people, cargo, conveyances, and other
  entities and objects that pose a threat to
  homeland security, and to do so in a manner that
  safeguards legal rights, including freedoms,
  civil liberties, and information privacy
  guaranteed by Federal law, and builds upon
  existing risk assessment capabilities while
  facilitating the efficient movement of people,
  cargo, conveyances, and other potentially
  affected activities in commerce and
• (b) implement a coordinated and comprehensive
  approach to terrorist-related screening -- in
  immigration, law enforcement, intelligence,
  counterintelligence, and protection of the
  border, transportation systems, and critical
  infrastructure -- that supports homeland
  security, at home and abroad.

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• Wordy phrases such as in order to and it is
  the policy of
• Annoying strings of similar words such as cargo,
  conveyances, and other entities and objects
• Redundant words such as legal rights . . .
  guaranteed by Federal law
• Noun sandwiches such as risk assessment
  capabilities

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• It is the policy of the United States to enhance
  . .
• The United States will enhance . . .

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• detect, identify, track, and interdict people,
  cargo, conveyances, and other entities and
  objects that pose a threat to homeland security
• detect, identify, track, and stop anyone and
  anything that threatens homeland security

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More information

• www.plainlanguage.gov
• www.centerforplainlanguage.org
• To contact me, email me at acheek_at_patriot.net.
  Put plain language in the subject line.