Plain Language: Accessible Content for POUR Writers Accessing Higher Ground – #AHG11 November 2011 Angela M. angelahooker.com

The goal of providing accessible written content can be accomplished by being a POUR writer. 2 Plain Language: Accessible Content for POUR Writers

Are you a POUR writer? Perceivable Operable Understandable Robust 3 WCAG 2.0 principles of accessibility: Plain Language: Accessible Content for POUR Writers

Are you a POUR writer? Understandable: “Information and the operation of user interface must be understandable. “This means that users must be able to understand the information as well as the operation of the user interface (the content or operation cannot be beyond their understanding).” 4 Plain Language: Accessible Content for POUR Writers

What is plain language and how can it help fulfill the WCAG 2.0 “Understandable” requirement? 5 Plain Language: Accessible Content for POUR Writers

Plain language is … Plain language is writing that can be understood the first time people read or hear it. 6 Plain Language: Accessible Content for POUR Writers

Plain language is … … easy to read … understandable … usable 7 Plain Language: Accessible Content for POUR Writers

Benefits of plain language Your users won’t have to read your content several times to understand it. Your website users can accomplish tasks quickly. 8 Plain Language: Accessible Content for POUR Writers

Benefits of plain language People will respect your “brand,” and see your site as authoritative (this is not limited to for- profit sites). It reduces user frustration, because it boosts reading ease. Increases your site’s user retention and site loyalty. These benefits can widen your site's appeal, audience, and influence. 9 Plain Language: Accessible Content for POUR Writers

The best benefit of all Plain language provides accessible written content, and supports the goal of providing universal access for all (or as many as possible!). 10 Plain Language: Accessible Content for POUR Writers

Why is a lot of web content bad? 11 Plain Language: Accessible Content for POUR Writers

The approach is wrong 12 The wrong people write web content. The institution/“powers that be” dictate what content goes on the organization’s website. People write content without considering their audience. Plain Language: Accessible Content for POUR Writers

Problems with content “In order to make people understand your organization’s materials, and get one’s point across, so that everyone knows what one means, it’s important that one doesn’t ramble on and use more words than necessary.” (Content is wordy.) Writers use jargon inappropriately. Content is too formal or too friendly. 13 Plain Language: Accessible Content for POUR Writers

Problems with content 14 Content has grammatical errors. Content has awkward sentence structure. People use slang and/or region or country- centric terms. Content is pedantic. Plain Language: Accessible Content for POUR Writers

Writers forget to consider … 15 People scan content (they don’t read it). It’s hard to read large blocks of text. There are people with low literacy skills. Some people have low language proficiency. Some people have cognitive impairments. Some people are dyslexic. Plain Language: Accessible Content for POUR Writers

People try to justify bad content and avoid plain language 16 Plain Language: Accessible Content for POUR Writers

Don’t believe the hype! “But 75 percent of _____ users are _____ with an advanced degree!” Did you think about why that may be? It’s not only because those users are interested in specific content, but perhaps the content is written so that they’re the only users who can understand your content. Frustration = the back button Remember: Access for all (as many as possible)! 17 Plain Language: Accessible Content for POUR Writers

Don’t believe the hype! “The content isn’t sophisticated or doesn’t reflect the gravity of the topic without using these words!” 18 Plain Language: Accessible Content for POUR Writers

Here’s what you can do 19 Plain Language: Accessible Content for POUR Writers

Fix the page layout Organize content logically. Make sure headings and labels are meaningful and accurately reflect the related content. Break up your content into manageable pieces. 20 Plain Language: Accessible Content for POUR Writers

Format content for easy reading Don’t use large blocks of italicized text. Use serif fonts sparingly. Don’t use full justification. Use sufficient line height. Make sure the line width is optimal (not too wide and not too thin). Use all caps sparingly. 21 Plain Language: Accessible Content for POUR Writers

Use design to enhance content Use design elements to enhance—rather than to convey—your message. – Don’t use complex images and charts to convey main content. – Supplement content with illustrations and icons. – Use thoughtfully prepared infographics. Don’t use distracting elements. 22 Plain Language: Accessible Content for POUR Writers

Use these principles Compose effective alt text (alt text should not be an afterthought). Write accurate, clear captions. Define acronyms: “The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) recommends that all activities …” 23 Plain Language: Accessible Content for POUR Writers

Use these principles Assume that your audience is intelligent, but don’t assume that they’re familiar with your topic. Avoid or explain jargon, colloquialisms, puns, country or region-specific terms (when writing for a broad audience), non-literal phrasing. 24 Plain Language: Accessible Content for POUR Writers

Use these principles Be sure links make sense out of context. Avoid “more” and “click here” as link titles. Write unique link titles. Make sure links reflect their destinations. 25 Plain Language: Accessible Content for POUR Writers

Use these principles Give direct instructions. Use positive terms. Avoid double negatives. Use complete sentences. Use proper punctuation. Avoid overusing parenthetical statements. 26 Plain Language: Accessible Content for POUR Writers

Use these principles 27 Use the inverted pyramid method (put the most important information and the top and background information below it). Write for the average reader. Write in the active voice. Use simple verb tense and base verbs. Plain Language: Accessible Content for POUR Writers

Use these principles Speak to your users with personal pronouns. Use “must” instead of “shall” for requirements. Use short sentences and sections, bullets, and tables instead of dense content. 28 Plain Language: Accessible Content for POUR Writers

Use these principles Be concise—cut out excess/filler words. Use familiar words. Use complete sentences. Structure sentences carefully—keep the subject, verb, and object close together; be careful where you place adverbs and adjectives. Organize content to serve your users—not your organization. 29 Plain Language: Accessible Content for POUR Writers

Test your content Interview people about your content. – Ask users to read portions of your content and explain what they think it means. Conduct usability testing. – Ask users to complete tasks based on your written instructions. Use controlled comparative studies. – Conduct “A/B testing” interviews. Provide two versions of your content and track how people react to it. 30 Plain Language: Accessible Content for POUR Writers

Let’s see plain language in action—right now! 31 Plain Language: Accessible Content for POUR Writers

Group Exercises Let’s do one exercise together: How would you rewrite this course’s title? Now, let’s separate into small groups. Work with your team to rewrite the sample content. I’ll visit each group and help, if needed. We’ll review the rewrites together. 32 Plain Language: Accessible Content for POUR Writers

At the risk of violating plain language guidelines, I will say that I hope you did POURly on your group exercises. 33 Plain Language: Accessible Content for POUR Writers

Resources: POUR WCAG 2.0 Principles of Accessibility: WCAG20/intro.html WCAG20/intro.html Constructing a POUR Website: Plain Language: Accessible Content for POUR Writers

Resources: Writing Content Content and Usability: Web Writing: resources/web-usability/web-content.shtml resources/web-usability/web-content.shtml 35 Plain Language: Accessible Content for POUR Writers

Resources: Plain Language Plain Language Checklist: ence/checklist.cfm ence/checklist.cfm Comprehensive Plain Language Guidelines: /FederalPLGuidelines/FederalPLGuidelines.pdf /FederalPLGuidelines/FederalPLGuidelines.pdf Test Your Content (methods): /FederalPLGuidelines/testing.cfm /FederalPLGuidelines/testing.cfm 36 Plain Language: Accessible Content for POUR Writers

Resources: Websites Center for Plain Language: PlainLanguage.gov: Plain Language Association International: Plain Language: Accessible Content for POUR Writers

Resources: Books Janice (Ginny) Redish, Letting Go of the Words Janice (Ginny) Redish, Writing Web Content that Works Patricia T. O'Conner, Woe is I: The Grammarphobe's Guide to Better English in Plain English Steve Krug, Rocket Surgery Made Easy Jakob Nielsen, Designing Web Usability: The Practice of Simplicity 38 Plain Language: Accessible Content for POUR Writers

Resources: Training Online: aining/index.cfm aining/index.cfm U.S. federal government agencies can get free plain language classes: aining/freetraining.cfm aining/freetraining.cfm Conferences and events: Plain Language: Accessible Content for POUR Writers

Thank you! Angela angelahooker.com 40 Plain Language: Accessible Content for POUR Writers