40 Big Ideas

Summary

Plain language means speaking or writing so people with intellectual disability (ID) understand. It helps everyone to be part of the conversation. But plain language can be hard to do. It takes longer than other kinds of writing. Most people don’t know the rules. Plain language laws don’t do enough. We need to learn from what other countries are doing with plain language. We need to make one set of plain language rules. We need to treat plain language like other accommodations. We need to include people with ID when making plain language.

This article is written in plain language. It is based on a conversation between the two authors.

First, we want to thank ICI and Impact for thinking about plain language as one of their Big Ideas.

What is Plain Language?

Plain language means language that people with intellectual disability (ID) can understand.

Benefits of Plain Language

Plain language means that people with ID get to be part of the conversation and share their knowledge.

It is insulting to talk about people in ways they cannot understand. We do this too much in research and policy. It is irresponsible. People with ID have important things to add.

If people use plain language, it makes us feel like we all belong.

Plain language also helps people without disabilities. If you explain things in a different way, everyone can understand better. No idea is too complicated that we cannot explain it in plain language.

Challenges to Making Plain Language

Some challenges to making plain language are practical.

It takes more time to make things in plain language. Many people do not know how to write in plain language. We do not have a single definition or guide for plain language in the United States.

The United States passed a law called the Plain Writing Act in 2010. It says federal agencies must use plain language when they write or speak to the public. We appreciate that this law exists. However, the plain language in this Act is not made for people with disabilities. The “plain language” it requires isn’t how we would define plain language by and for people with ID.

Some challenges to making plain language are attitudes.

In research and policy, some people think the opinions of people with ID do not matter. This attitude goes against “Nothing About Us Without Us.”

People feel like they have to use big words to be taken seriously. If we decide to use plain language, more kinds of people will be taken seriously.

People may feel embarrassed to ask for plain language. They assume people who use plain language are not smart. That is not true. Plain language is just an accommodation, like a ramp or captions.

What Do We Need to Do?

We need to look at how other countries use plain language. For example, the United Kingdom has the Accessible Information Standard . This rule says healthcare and social services must share information in ways people with disabilities understand.

1. Create a single definition and guidelines. Many people do not know what rules to follow to make plain language. Having a standard in the United States like the one Inclusion Europe created would help.
2. Provide plain language as an accommodation. People with ID should not have to rely on other people to explain things.
3. Include people with ID when making plain language. This takes more time, but you cannot make plain language without the people it is written for.

There are millions of people with disabilities in the United States. When we don’t understand things, we aren’t included.

Plain language isn’t just a tool. It can change the way we think by changing who gets to be in the conversation. It helps us get to “All Means All.”