Usability in Government Systems

Chapter 11

Plain Language in Government

Janice (Ginny) Redish* and Susan Kleimann^†

*Bethesda, MD, USA

†Rockville, MD, USA

“Plain language is about creating documents for real life and for real people…. We take into account that our readers may not be experts in reading, or in [the language in which we are writing], or in the topic, and that they are probably very busy.… So we strive to make texts that will give them what they need, when and how they need it, in a way that’s as quick, simple, easy, and effective as can be.”

— D. Joseph (2011)

Introduction

Government agencies want citizens, immigrants, and visitors to comply voluntarily with the country’s laws and regulations, to fill out forms correctly, to have the benefits to which they are ...