What is plain language?
- What is plain language? (plainlanguage.gov)
- What the Heck is Plain Language? (Granicus)
- Top 10 Principles for Plain Language (National Archives)
Who else is using or teaching plain language?
- DES Training: Plain Language Writing & Design
- DES Training: WA State Plain Language
- PlainLanguage.gov
- CDC Gateway to Health Communication
- New York City: Easy-to-Read NYC (PDF)
- US Department of Veterans Affairs Plain Language
- Plain Language Association International
- LinkedIn Learning Plain Language course
Articles
- What is plain language writing? Executive Order requires state agencies to adopt policy, LeCompte, Michael; KDNO (2023)
- National Weather Service ‘advisories’ being discontinued in favor of plain language headlines in 2025 or later, Morse, Jacob; KFYR (2023)
- Hochul signs legislation setting language standards for statewide ballot proposals, Arpey, Jack; Spectrum News (2023)
- Even lawyers don’t like legalese, Trafton, Anne; Massachusetts Institute of Technology (2023)
- Social Security's plain language makes the grade, Hatch, Hillary; Big Rapids News (2023)
- ChatGPT and DALL-E 3 communicate with each other in plain human language, Hulschoff Pol, Floris; Techzine Europe (2023)
- Lessons in using plain language from the federal government's bad 'report card', Layni, Nick; Ragan Communications (2023)
- Human rights and the power of plain language, Agostini, Nicolas; IPS Journal (2023)
- What makes writing more readable? Looking at how to make writing easier to read, Monteleone, Rebecca, and McGhee, Michelle; The Pudding (2022)
- The end of jargon: will New Zealand’s plain language law finally make bureaucrats talk like normal people? Calude, Andreea, and Campbell, Sam; The Conversation (2022)
- Senate passed bill to 'stop the government speak' in agency documents, Alms, Natalie; NextGov/FCW (2022)
- Plain Language Summaries Explained in Plain Language, Halprin, A.; Eos (2021)
- Access and Equity through Clear Communication, Language Magazine (2021)
- Plain Talk: The power of human connection, Barnett, Hoover; Oregon Health & Science University/TBR News Media (2021)
- ProPublica experiments with ultra-accessible plain language in stories about people with disabilities, Scire, Sarah; Nieman Journalism Lab (2020)
- Plain Language Writing — An Essential Part of Accessibility, Pulrang, Andrew; Forbes (2020)
- Access and Equity through Clear Communication, Pizzarelli, Fr. Francis; Language Magazine (2019)
- Death to government mumbo jumbo, Bridge Michigan (2017)
General writing
- Center for Plain Language
- The Plain Language Association International
- Communicating With and About People with Disabilities — Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- OWL Online Writing Lab — Purdue University
- Writer's Handbook — University of Wisconsin-Madison
- The Elements of Style --- Strunk and White
- Letting Go of the Words: Writing Web Content that Works, Ginny Redish Ph.D. — guidelines for web layout
Government writing
- PlainLanguage.gov – Federal government writing resources
- Plain Language – U.S. Department of Labor
Grant writing
Technical writing
- Society for Technical Communication
- Technical Writing for IT Security Policies
- Five Tips to Improve Your Technical Writing
- Legal Writing in Plain English, Bryan A. Garner
Writing for the web
- Applying Writing Guidelines to Web Pages
- Concise, SCANNABLE, and Objective: How to Write for the Web
- Writing for the Web - Articles & Videos
- Plain Language Web Writing Tips
Accessibility
- Accessibility fundamentals
- Understandable content
- Acrobat accessibility training resources for versions 8 and 9
- Creating accessible PDF files
- Web Accessibility in Mind: PDF Accessibility
- Less is more: Writing in Plain Language
- Web Content Accessibility Guidelines & Plain Language
Usability
- Digital.gov
- SEO and Usability
- 113 Design Guidelines for Homepage Usability
- Plain Language is for Everyone, Even Experts (video)
- Usability Testing
Employees at Washington state agencies can request a plain language review or assistance by submitting their request to PlainLanguage@gov.wa.gov.