This guideline section is required (normative).

Clear Language How-To Guidance

Use clear language to make it easier for readers to understand.

The following tabbed sections contain helpful information, but are not required (informative).

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Summary

Clear language combines strategies from plain language and simple language that research shows improves the experience of individuals with cognitive and learning disabilities. Clear language helps create more accessible content. It helps people understand what is important and what to do with the information they read. This includes guidance on word choice, language structure, instructions, and use of numbers and symbols.

Writing and editing in plain language means using:

Why

Who it helps

There are many types of disabilities that can make it harder to read, including a large range of cognitive and learning disabilities, mental health conditions, aging-related conditions, and cognitive impacts of some chronic or other health conditions.

Not all individuals with cognitive and learning disabilities have the same needs. Difficulties with reading vary by disability but also by individual. It’s important not to make assumptions. Many people with disabilities can understand specialized or complex information, but they may benefit from the same principles of clear language.

Clear language generally helps everyone, especially people who may have difficulty reading due to disability. Reading may also be more difficult when tired, distracted, under stress, with low-literacy, when working outside one’s first language (such as with some sign language users), or when vision is impaired.

Difficulties with reading may be related to challenges with:

How

Exceptions

Examples

To Be Done (TBD)