Clear information gets the job done…
For you and for society
There is no downside to clear information. For the public and limited-literacy readers, clarity is critical. It is essential to ensure informed decision making and aid social equity. But also, for higher-literacy readers like professional audiences, clarity isn’t just “nice to have,” it enhances productivity, quality, and engagement.
Try this thought experiment:
- Think computer printer manual
- Think government information
- Think financial correspondence
- Think healthcare material
Massive headache brewing? Blood pressure rising? Sweaty palms? Sudden urge to run? … to hide? …to curl up in a ball and hope it’s just a bad dream?
Like your reaction, this is the effect unclear information has on your readers, regardless of their literacy level. For lower-literacy readers, the effects are seriously compounded. And high-literacy readers like professional audiences, find unclear information exhausting. They don’t have time to decipher it and quickly move on.
Go from complex to clear…
The good news is that every complex sentence has a clearer counterpart (even your HR manual!). The key to unlocking information’s hidden meaning—and meet accessibility guidelines—is to have it edited. But not just any edit, an edit based on plain English writing techniques.
Why not try before you buy? To bring the benefits of plain English to life, consider a complimentary high-level assessment summary or editing sample.
