Plenary - Plain Language: Increasing Understanding & Providing Social Justice
Barbra Kingsley, PhD
Kleimann
Rima Rudd, ScD
Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
Communicating in plain language helps people find, understand, and use information – allowing them to more successfully navigate complex topics and make better, more informed decisions. In this talk, Dr. Rima Rudd will introduce how plain language can provide greater clarity and, in turn, pave the way to more socially just outcomes. Next, Dr. Barbra Kingsley will provide an overview of the plain language principles and outline current plain language legislation. She will then demonstrate how the Center for Plain Language’s annual report card is helping government agencies accept the burden of responsibility for making critical information more accessible to the public. Throughout, we will draw implications for health-related issues and services, demonstrating how plain language is critical for creating access and providing social justice.
Objectives:
- Define plain language.
- Provide plain language principles and examples.
- Outline current plain language legislation.
- Describe current efforts to assess government use of plain language.
- Connect plain language to access and social justice.