Updated with resources added at AccessU 2013

1. Plain language:
accessibility for information
Whitney Quesenbery
WQusability.com and Usability in Civic Life

2. 2
Plain language = a11y
for information

3. 3
Plain language means users can
find what they need
understand what they find
use the information
to meet their goals
This definition was written by Ginny Redish and is used by the Center for Plain Language
http://www.centerforplainlanguage.org

4. 4
Many barriers to cognitive accessibility
are the same as usability problems for
general audience…but more severe.
- Clayton Lewis
Invited talk to the 508 Refresh Committee (TEITAC)

5. 5
Plain language = a11y
= usability
= user experience
for information

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Why plain language?

7. 7
People need plain language because...
They read with different degrees of literacy.
They do not always read carefully.
They have a cognitive, language, or learning disability.
Visual disabilities can affect reading.
They may not know (or read) the language well

8. 8
Cognitive disabilities
Affect a person’s ability to
process information:
 Remember and recall
 Read information
 Process information
 Make choices
Examples
• Dyslexia
• Attention disorders
• Disability from brain injury
• Stroke
• Developmental disabilities
• Down syndrome
• Dementia

9. 9
People read with different levels of literacy
Below basic – only the most
simple and concrete reading skills
Basic – able to manage everyday
tasks
Intermediate – moderately
challenging activities like
consulting reference material
Proficient – interpreting text,
comparing viewpoints
U.S. National Assessment of Adult Literacy http://nces.ed.gov/naal/kf_demographics.asp

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Plain language supports the right to understand
Sandra Fisher-Martins ―The Right to Understand‖at TEDx O’Porto -www.youtube.com/watch?v=tP2y0vU7EG8

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Can users interpret and act on this information?
http://www.yourdiseaserisk.wustl.edu/hccpquiz.pl
Repeat risk
Visual information
Clear statement
Invite action
Build on success

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How do you make
information clear?

13. 13
5 guidelines
• Write for your audience
• Organize information logically
• Write for action
• Keep the text as short as possible
• Design for reading

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1. Write for the audience
Speak to them
in their words
about their tasks

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Use simple, everyday words

16. 16
Use simple, everyday words
Description Of Service
The Site is an online community which enables
photographers and graphic artists to post photographs and
images, share comments, opinions and ideas, promote
their work, participate in contests and promotions, and
access and/or purchase services from time to time made
available on the Site (―Services‖). Services include, but are
not limited to, any service and/or content 500px makes
available to or performs for you, as well as the offering of
any materials displayed, transmitted or performed on the
Site or through the Services. Content (―Content‖) includes,
but is not limited to text, user comments, messages,
information, data, graphics, news articles, photographs,
images, illustrations, and software.
Your access to and use of the Site may be interrupted from
time to time as a result of equipment malfunction, updating,
maintenance or repair of the Site or any other reason
within or outside the control of 500px. 500px reserves the
right to suspend or discontinue the availability of the Site
and/or any Service and/or remove any Content at any time
at its sole discretion and without prior notice. 500px may
also impose limits on certain features and Services or
restrict your access to parts of or all of the Site and the
Services without notice or liability. The Site should not be
used or relied upon for storage of your photographs and
images and you are directed to retain your own copies of
all Content posted on the Site.

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One version or multiple versions
This is the question in the original
document:
Q1: What do you think would be the
advantages or disadvantages of a UK Bill of
Rights? Do you think that there are
alternatives to either our existing
arrangements or to a UK Bill of Rights that
would achieve the same benefits? If you
think that there are disadvantages to a UK
Bill of Rights, do you think that the benefits
outweigh them? Whether or not you favour
a UK Bill of Rights, do you think that the
Human Rights Act ought to be retained or
repealed?
This is the EasyRead version:
Question1: Do you tink we need a Bill of
Rights in the UK
Both of these documents are linked from
http://www.justice.gov.uk/about/cbr/second-consultation

18. 18
Leap and land on the same word

19. 19
The text in the image says:
Living with MS.
Whether you just received a diagnosis of MS or have
been living with it for a long time—this section is filled
with information and tips on how to maintain your
quality of life in the years ahead. Read about
strategies to enhance your health and wellness,
maximize your productivity and independence, and
deal with emotional, social, and vocational
challenges.
Speak directly to the audience
nationalmssociety.org

20. 20Speak directly to the audience, even when the reader
is a representative of the audience member.
§ 408.315. Who may sign your application?
(a) When you must sign. If you are mentally competent, and physically
able to do so, you must sign your own application.
(b) When someone else may sign for you. (1) If you are mentally
incompetent, or physically unable to sign, your application may be
signed by a court-appointed representative or a person who is
responsible for your care, including a relative. If you are in the care of an
institution, the manager or principal officer of the institution may sign
your application.
(2) If it is necessary to protect you from losing benefits and there is good
cause why you could not sign the application, we may accept an
application signed by someone other than you or a person described in
paragraph (b)(1) of this section.

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2. Organize information
logically
In the right order
In the right format

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Put information in the right order.
Requirements, prompts, warnings, notes and
anything else that someone needs to complete an
action correctly must come before the action, field
or instruction, not after it!

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Establish context and requirements

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Put instructions in the right order
Draw a triangle on top of an upside down ―T‖

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Put instructions in the right order
Draw a triangle on top of an upside down ―T‖
Did you draw a pine tree or a wine glass?

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3. Write for action
Active verbs
Positive messages

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Write with active verbs

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Be positive
We asked participans in a usabilty test to find out:
How much are the annual tuition fees at this
university?
A typical three-year degree at £3,000 a year
adds up to to £9,000 – a hefty sum that doesn’t
include living costs....
...on average to £3,046 compared with £9,000...
Universities will be able to charge up to £3,000
for annual tuition fees and the government is
predicting that average levels of student debt will
be around £15,000 for those entering higher
education next year...

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4. Keep the text
as short as possible
Short sentences
Short paragraphs

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How to vote
(1) Mark only with a writing instrument provided by the board of
elections.
(2) To vote for a candidate whose name is printed on this ballot fill in
the (insert oval or square, as applicable) above or next to the name of
the candidate.
(3) To vote for a person whose name is not printed on this ballot write
or stamp his or her name in the space labeled ―write-in‖ that appears
(insert at the bottom of the column, the end of the row or at the bottom
of the candidate names, as applicable) for such office (and, if required
by the voting system in use at such election, the instructions shall also
include ―and fill in the (insert oval or square, as applicable)
corresponding with the write-in space in which you have written in a
name‖).
(4) To vote yes or no on a proposal, if any, that appears on the
(indicate where on the ballot the proposal may appear) fill in the
(insert oval or square, as applicable) that corresponds to your vote.
(5) Any other mark or writing, or any erasure made on this ballot
outside the voting squares or blank spaces provided for voting will
void this entire ballot.
(6) Do not overvote. If you select a greater number of candidates than
there are vacancies to be filled, your ballot will be void for that public
office, party position or proposal.
(7) If you tear, or deface, or wrongly mark this ballot, return it and
obtain another. Do not attempt to correct mistakes on the ballot by
making erasures or cross outs. Erasures or cross outs may invalidate
all or part of your ballot. Prior to submitting your ballot, if you make a
mistake in completing the ballot or wish to change your ballot choices,
you may obtain and complete a new ballot. You have a right to a
replacement ballot upon return of the original ballot.
(8) After completing your ballot, insert it into the ballot scanner and
wait for the notice that your ballot has been successfully scanned. If
no such notice appears, seek the assistance of an election inspector.

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How to vote (another try)
Mark the oval to the left of the name of your choice.
To vote for a candidate whose name is not printed on the ballot, print the name
clearly in the box labeled 'write-in', staying within the box.
Do not make any marks outside the spaces provided for voting. If you do, your
ballot may not count.
The number of choices is listed for each contest. Do not mark the ballot for more
candidates than allowed. If you do, your vote in that contest will not count.
If you make a mistake, or want to change your vote, ask a poll worker for a new
ballot.

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Use summaries to communicate key points
This example is from http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Sites-Types/bone

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5. Design for reading
Lists and tables
Info design
Clear fonts

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Design for reading patterns

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Clear presentation of quantitative data
How many accessibility
problems can you find on
this page?

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Clear presentation of quantitative data
Focus on meaning
Meaningful title with the
main point
Brief overview summarizes
the message
Information in visual format
Information in table format
And,
Better alt text
No table used for layout
http://www.careerinfonet.org/finaidadvisor/earnings.aspx?nodeid=21

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Use design to make information easy to scan

38. 38
Let lists be lists
Good information design
supports good
accessibility
The most important
information in this email is
buried in a massive,
parenthetical sentence.
Hello.
From time to time we update our agreement governing the use of Square's
payment processing services, Square Reader, and Square Register. We're
writing to inform you of a few changes recently incorporated into this
agreement.
Click here to read the updated Seller Agreement.
The vast majority of changes result from either reorganization, clarification of
language, the deletion of duplicative text, or other aesthetic changes, although
there are a few substantive modifications. (See, for example, Section 6 [Your
Square Account], Section 7 [Our Role], Section 12 [Applicable Network
Rules], Section 15(a) [Access to Square Account Funds], Section 15(b)
[Right to Setoff], Section 16 [Payout Schedule], Section 24
[Taxes], Section 36 [Disclosures and Notices], Section 47 [Representation
and Warranties], and Section 49b [Third Party Products].)
The updated agreement will take effect on June 9, 2013. If you continue to use
our services after June 9, 2013, you agree to the terms of the new agreement.
You will be able to access the previous version of the agreement for the next
thirty days.
Thanks,
The Square Team
squareup.com
Email from square.com and link to https://squareup.com/legal/seller-agreement

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Myths that hold us back

40. 40Myth:
“My audience doesn’t need plain language”
Teens
 Write simply,
using words that
are common to
your readers’
vocabulary
 Be concise and
get to the point
 Make the content
apply to personal
and cultural
experiences
Older adults
 Use words that
most older adults
know
 Write in plain
language with short,
simple and
straightforward
sentences
Low literacy
 Put the most important
information first
 Write text with a simple
sentence structure
 Keep pages,
paragraphs, sentences
short
Teenagers on the Web www.nngroup.com/reports/teens/
Designing Web Sites for Older Adults, http://www.redish.net/articles-slides/articles-slides-older-adults
Work with low literacy web users www.stc.org/intercom/pdfs/2004/200406_19-23.pdf
But compare these guidelines for different audiences

42. 42Myth:
My information can’t be expressed in plain language
Information can be
technically accurate,
interesting and well written
appropriate to the audience
and also
clear and understandable

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Plain language resources
Federal Plain Language Guidelines
http://www.plainlanguage.gov/
SEC Plain Language Handbook
http://www.sec.gov/pdf/handbook.pdf
Center for Plain Language
ClearMark Awards
http://centerforplainlanguage.org/awards/
How to write clearly – European
Commission
http://ec.europa.eu/translation/writing/clear_
writing/how_to_write_clearly_en.pdf
Letting Go of the Words
by Janice (Ginny) Redish

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Plain language discussion forums and organizations
Organizations
Center for Plain Language - http://www.centerforplainlanguage.org
Plain Language Association International -
http://www.plainlanguagenetwork.org/
Clarity - http://www.clarity-international.net/
IC Clear – European consortium - http://icclear.net/
Groups and Conferences
LinkedIn Grouphttp://www.linkedin.com/groups/Plain-Language-
Advocates-158634?trk=myg_ugrp_ovr
Facebook Group – https://www.facebook.com/groups/43656290511/
Plain 2013 conference - http://www.plain2013.org/, October in Vancouver

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Storytelling for User Experience
with Kevin Brooks
Global UX
with Daniel Szuc
A Web for Everyone
with Sarah Horton
A Web for
Everyone

46. 46
Whitney Quesenbery
whitney@wqusability.com
http://www.wqusability.com
Usability in Civic Life
http://usabilityinciviclife.org
http://civicdesigning.org
Twitter: @whitneyq
Slideshare: http://www.slideshare.net/whitneyq/