What is Plain Language?

Plain language is communication that is clear enough for an audience to understand the first time they read or hear it. Implementing these practices promotes accessibility for all content creators and communicators, including those crafting emails, reports, instructional materials, marketing copy, and announcements.

It is also sometimes called “plain writing” or “reader-focused writing.” Plain language makes all types of communication easier for readers to access.

Plain language practices improve accessibility for people across all demographics. Removing barriers and obstacles in language, such as uncommon words, jargon, and confusing syntax, benefits readers of all abilities. This lesson explains what plain language is.

Using plain language makes content more accessible to audiences of various reading levels and cognitive abilities and more inclusive of people from diverse demographics and cultures. In short, plain language connects with more people.

There are seven key principles of plain language:

Put the most important information at the beginning.
Use simple words.
Write in an active voice.
Keep sentences short.
Avoid jargon/acronyms.
Limit figurative speech.
Be concise.

Why use Plain Language?

Using plain and inclusive language practices in writing is essential to accessibility. Doing so removes barriers and ensures that the greatest number of people can access and understand content.

Plain language practices help with many communication barriers such as the following:

low literacy
limited language fluency
auditory processing disorders
cognitive differences

Inclusive language practices remove obstacles for readers by using accurate, up-to-date terminology that avoids bias and reduces harm. Making readers feel welcome and included makes communication easier.

Plain and inclusive language work together to create clear, accurate communication that includes people of all backgrounds and abilities, removing assumptions about whose identities and experiences are most common or recognizable. Both plain writing and inclusive language focus on providing clarity and avoiding harm. Asking people about their preferred terminology and following authors and creators with disabilities can help you stay up-to-date on best practices in language use.

There are many more reasons to use both plain and inclusive language practices. In short, Inclusive language practices welcome diverse readers and help improve understanding and engagement with your message.

Making sure that content is clearly written and organized so it is easy to understand means better accessibility for both disabled and nondisabled people who read it. Clear communication delivers the message faster and decreases the chances for misunderstandings.
When audiences understand a message the first time they read or hear it, then it does not need additional explanation or rephrasing. Creators will spend less time answering questions, clarifying meaning, and making corrections if they use plain language from the start.
Using plain language helps content authors make sure their messages are clear and accurate. In order to explain a subject in simple terms, the writer must thoroughly understand the subject.
Using familiar terms, defining acronyms, and removing jargon also help save time and effort in communication. When audiences encounter acronyms and jargon, they have to slow down to decode the words before continuing and may even have to pause to look up their meanings or send questions to the author or organization.
Inclusive language removes communication barriers and avoids making assumptions. Using outdated or offensive terminology can catch readers off-guard, deter them from reading further, and call into question creators’ knowledge, professionalism, and values.

What is Inclusive Language?

Inclusive language practices include simple words when it makes sense to use them. However, where plain language avoids jargon and overly complex words and phrases, inclusive language choices respect people’s preferences for what they call themselves. Sometimes those preferences are not simple words.

Using inclusive language means word choices are respectful, avoid bias, and do not uphold stereotypes. Using inclusive language ensures audiences feel comfortable, welcome, and respected. It increases accessibility by avoiding putting off or alienating people with careless or outdated terminology.

Common pitfalls to inclusive language include referring to people using biased terms about traits such as gender, race, socioeconomic status (SES), age, body size and weight, disability, neurodiversity and mental health, power/status, or using violent terms and phrases.

Another type of language used to describe or refer to people is known as identity-first language. Identity-first language places the name of an identity before the word “person” or “people,” such as “autistic person” or “Deaf people.” Although some people prefer identity-first language for self-identification in a community, using person-first language practices instead can be a more inclusive standard practice.

People who are deaf or hard of hearing do not necessarily consider their condition to be an impairment, loss, or failure to meet an expected standard or norm. “Hard of hearing” is preferred over “hearing impaired.” “Deaf people” is often preferred over “people with hearing loss” or “hearing challenged."
Blind users may include people who only use screen readers or braille—or both or neither. Be specific based on the context. CUse the term “screen reader users” when referring to digital accessibility needs.
In most cases, it will be more accurate and informative to describe a person’s specific support needs than to use a “high” or “low” label. Even so-called “high-functioning” people sometimes need support, and the “high-functioning” label can be dismissive of the challenges they face.
Choosing “nondisabled” instead of “abled” or “able-bodied” is a more neutral choice that helps normalize the prevalence of disabilities. This term may be less familiar, but its meaning is clear in context.
Many people feel that their wheelchairs and other mobility devices give them freedom and access rather than limiting them. For this reason, the word “user” is more accurate and inclusive than “bound.”

Look for opportunities to use inclusive language throughout formal, informal, professional, public-facing, and internal communications and resources. Develop a style guide to list preferred terminology and review and update it on a regular basis. You can use an existing style guide (such as the APA Brief Guide to Bias-Free and Inclusive Language) and add to your own guide only when chosen terms differ from the external guide.

This page is taken from the CCC Accessibility Center's course on Plain and Inclusive Language