Plain language

We are committed to making our work accessible. We are working towards making this website available in plain language. You can learn more about our commitments here and review our emerging Plain Language Style Guide for more information.

What is plain language?

Plain language means communicating so everyone can easily understand. It uses simple words, short sentences, and clear organization. The goal is to make sure people understand your message the first time they hear, read, or see it. This guide is written using plain language.

Why is plain language important?

Plain language helps everyone feel included. It is important for people who have trouble reading, are learning English, or have other challenges. Plain language lets people make good decisions and take part in their communities.

For us, plain language is about care and fairness. It makes our ideas clear so everyone can connect with what we do. It also helps build trust and avoid confusion.

Plain language also makes translation into other languages quicker. It is easier to translate simple and clear text better than complex text. This reduces mistakes and confusion, helping more people understand our message.

We prefer to work with human translators to ensure accuracy and cultural sensitivity. However, it is sometimes necessary to use machine translation. When this happens, plain language helps make sure the translation is as clear and accurate as possible.

Our commitments to plain language

We promise to:

  • Write at a Grade 6 reading level so most people can understand.
  • Use short sentences, common words, and clear headings.
  • Test our writing with different groups to make sure it is clear.
  • Provide other formats, like images or sign language, to make our work more accessible.

Plain language checklist

Use this list to write in plain language:

  • Write short sentences (15-20 words max).
  • Avoid hard words and explain things simply.
  • Break information into sections with headings.
  • Use bullet points or lists to make reading easier.
  • Test your work with real people and make changes if needed.
  • Add pictures or examples to explain tricky ideas.

Tools and resources

These tools can help you learn plain language:

Understanding readibility scores

Readability scores and indexes rate how difficult it is to read a piece of text. They are based on factors like sentence length, word complexity, and syllable count. Here are some common readability tools:

  • Flesch Reading Ease: Scores text from 0 to 100. Higher scores mean easier text. Aim for 60-70 for most audiences.
  • Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level: Shows the U.S. school grade level needed to understand the text. A score of Grade 6 is ideal for plain language.
  • Gunning Fog Index: Estimates the years of education needed to understand the text. Lower scores (8 or below) mean simpler writing.
  • SMOG: Counts complex words and gives the grade level required to read the text.

Using Generative AI

Generative AI tools can assist in translating complex text into plain language. To ensure the output meets readability goals, prompts must be specific and clear. Below are suggestions for effective prompts to get you started:

  • Rewrite this text at a Grade 6 reading level or lower.
  • Ensure Flesch Reading Ease is 70 or higher.
  • Adjust this content to meet a Gunning Fog Index of 8 or lower.
  • Rewrite using sentences that are 15-20 words or fewer.
  • Use only common, everyday words in this text.
  • Add hierarchical sructure to this content with accessible headings and descriptive subtitles for each section.

Work with us

We are working to make all of our fluent and plain language content accessible in multiple languages. We also want to support others in the arts and culture community to take on similar efforts. Together, we can make arts and culture more inclusive for everyone. We could use your help to achieve this goal. Reach out and introduce yourself to hello@artspond.com if this interests you.

Here are some ways we could work together:

  • Language translation and interpretation: Help translate content into different languages, including French, ASL, LSQ, and Indigenous languages. You can also provide interpretation for events and meetings.
  • Translation glossaries: Work with us to build glossaries of terms used in arts and culture. This helps ensure translations are consistent and accurate.
  • Cultural adaptation: Share your knowledge about cultural traditions to make sure our content fits the communities it is meant for.
  • Testing and feedback: Review our materials to make sure they are clear and easy to understand. Let us know how we can improve.
  • Plain language workshops: Teach others how to write in plain language. Share tips and tools for simplifying complex ideas.
  • Resource creation: Help make visual aids, videos, and templates that go with plain language content.
  • Promote awareness: Advocate for plain language and show why it matters in arts and culture.
  • Specialized support: Offer your expertise in less common languages or help us use tools like AI for plain language translation.