Database of Plain Language and Easy Read Guides
This is a database of guides teaching how to write in plain language.
There are a lot of different rules for writing in plain language. Not everyone agrees on the best way to write. Looking through guides can help you learn what some of the best practices are.
The database also includes a breakdown of:
The topic and audience for each guide.
The year the guide was published.
What country it was published in.
How we found the guide.
If you have a guide you want to add to the database, contact us.
Isabella Garza made this database. Isabella is a student at the University of Toledo. This database is part of a larger project Isabella wrote called “The Impact of Plain Language and Easy Read for People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.” She looked at research about plain language. She found that people do plain language in a lot of different ways. It is hard to know which way works best for people with I/DD.
Isabella says:
In the summer of 2021, I created this database of Plain Language guides, which incorporates guides from 1998 onward from various countries around the globe. The purpose of each guide varies, with topics including disability, government and policy, health literacy, and literacy.
This database is valuable because there are no universal rules for creating plain language and easy-read materials. However, many guides exist suggesting what the best practices are. Compiling the guides into one database can help other people easily identify best practices for creating plain language and easy-read materials in different settings.
The Database of Plain Language Guides relates to my larger project, “The Impact of Plain Language and Easy Read for People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities,” which is a scoping review analyzing the topic, study evaluation of efficacy and interests, geography, and publication year of plain language materials. This database is the first step to researching the best practices for writing and evaluating plain language in order to standardize the production of plain language through the development of universal guidelines. This can lead to the universal guidelines being implemented in more areas, which leads to more opportunities for inclusion and accessibility for adults with I/DD.