1. Plain language aims to communicate information clearly to intended audiences by using simple, everyday words and short sentences. 2. Guidelines for plain language include thinking about your audience, using an active voice, avoiding jargon, and having others review it. 3. The Sensory Trust promotes accessible outdoor spaces that can be enjoyed by everyone regardless of ability.

1. Sensory Trust information sheet
Accessible information - plain language
l what you want to tell them;
not plain english l what they want and need to know;
l what you want them to do as a result of
High-quality learning environments
are a necessary precondition for reading your information
facilitation and enhancement of the l Decide what to say and in what order.
ongoing learning process. l Think about the language your audience
is likely to be familiar with.
plain english l Weed out irrelevant information.
Children need good schools if they
are to learn properly. Structure
l Summarise key points at the beginning
of the piece.
Plain language is not designed to corrupt l Start with the most important
and debase the glories of the English information your reader needs to know.
language. It is designed to communicate l Use clear headings to break up the text
precisely the things you need to into useable chunks.
communicate to your intended audience. l If some technical words are unavoidable,
We use the term plain language because consider a glossary.
many of the principles here can apply to
information produced in any language. Style
l Use language your audience will
Benefits of plain language
understand.
Readers are more likely to:
l Split your information into short, easily
l bother to read clear concise documents absorbed paragraphs.
than long complex ones;
l Keep sentences to an average of 15-20
l understand what you are saying; words.
l favour organisations that say things l Try to only have one concept per
clearly. paragraph and one idea per sentence.
l Be as brief as you can. The clearest
Information providers benefit because: sentence order is subject, verb, object.
l your message is more likely to be For example: “I use olive oil” is better
understood and acted upon; than “olive oil is what I use” or “olive oil
is used by me”.
l shorter documents require less paper;
l Avoid abbreviations.
l you can say more in the same space;
l Avoid jargon.
l translations into, for example, Braille are
cheaper to produce and easier to use. l If you have to use particular words for
the sake of accuracy, explain them in the
Guidelines text the first time you use them.
Before you start writing be clear about: l Keep punctuation simple and
l who you are talking to;
accurate. Many people are confused by
semi-colons, colons, square brackets

2. and so on. Many people are confused by In brief
sloppy or ambiguous use of punctuation.
l Use direct language. Write as though 1 Using plain language benefits
you and the reader
you were talking to someone in the same
room. 2 Think about who are you writing
l Use the active rather than passive voice.
for and use information and
language that is appropriate
l For example “we will decide” rather than
“a decision will be made”. 3 Get someone else to read
it, ideally someone who
l Repeat words rather than using
understands the target audience
alternatives for the sake of variety and
be careful using words like ‘it’, ‘this’ or 4 Keep it simple
‘they’ to refer back to something you
have mentioned earlier. 5 Make sure that you use
l Avoid phrases where a single verb will plain English for all written
do. For example ‘deliver’ rather than information
‘arrange a delivery to’. www.plainenglish.co.uk
It’s not all bad news
These are simply guidelines. The important
thing is that whatever you write should
make sense when you read it. Long
sentences are not banned, varying the
length of sentences helps readability. There
is no harm in breaking grammar rules if
it helps to make a meaning clearer, for
The Sensory Trust promotes and
example, you can end a sentence with a
supports the creation and management
preposition! It is clearer to write “the people
of outdoor spaces that can be used and
we talked to” than “the people to whom
enjoyed by everyone, regardless of age
we talked”. There is no harm in starting
or ability.
sentences with And, But or Because if that
Visit www.sensorytrust.org.uk
breaks a long sentence.
or contact:
Check your writing Sensory Trust, Watering Lane Nursery,
Pentewan, St.Austell, Cornwall PL26
There are a number of computer and other
6BE
reading checks that can help to an extent.
More information on reading tests can be Tel: +44 (0)1726 222900
found at www.timetabler.com/reading. Fax: +44 (0)1726 222901
html and a useful tool, the Bull Fighter Email: enquiries@sensorytrust.org.uk
is available at www.fightthebull.com/
bullfighter.asp . These tools are useful but The Sensory Trust is a registered charity
the best way, without a doubt, is to find (No. 1020670) and a company limited
someone appropriate to read out loud what by guarantee (No. 02811046)
you have written. We often use phrasing in Registered Office: Watering Lane
our written work that, while it looks natural
to us on the page, sounds clunky when read
aloud. Test everything!