Plain Writing Act Of 2010

News and Events on Plain Writing Act Of 2010

7 posts

Lessons from the 2021 Federal Plain Language Report Card

During the Digital.gov and Plain Language Community event, Results of the 2021 Federal Report Card, speaker David Lipscomb gave examples of web content that received both high and low scores in the 2021 Plain Language Report Card. Here’s what we learned.

Posts by Mara Goldberg Posts by Gabby Fratanduono-King

Mar 11, 2022

Video

Virtual Teaching: Plain Language

We’ve all had to learn new modes of presenting and communicating now that we’re teleworking full-time and depend on online broadcast technology. But how can you engage students and teach a class while sitting in front of a laptop camera? Join Wendy Wagner-Smith from the Small Business Administration and find out!

Posts by Wendy Wagner-Smith Posts by Katherine Spivey

Feb 10, 2021

Plain Language Report Card

2020 Federal Report Card Briefing

David Lipscomb will review, The Annual Federal Report Card, which is a snapshot of how well the federal government is following the 2010 Plain Writing Act.

Posts by David Lipscomb Posts by Katherine Spivey

Jan 13, 2021

Plain Language

Federal Report Card Update

Learn how the Center for Plain Language is approaching the Federal Report Card and what agencies can do to get top grades.

Posts by David Lipscomb Posts by Katherine Spivey

Jul 15, 2020

Webinar Recap: Plain Language Action and Information Network (PLAIN) June Meeting

This month’s Plain Language of Community Practice meeting featured Katherine Spivey’s presentation, Plain Language Spectrum: Every Step Counts! In this highly useful DigitalGov University (DGU) webinar, she explains how you can move forward with plain language even when you don’t have permission to edit copy, followed by a half hour Q & A session. Many

Posts by Samantha Hinz

Jun 30, 2017

The Content Corner: Will You Read This Entire Post?

Deep down we’ve always known that people only read a small portion of any content shared online. In many ways that can’t be fixed but there are ways to help people read more or at least scan better. There was a book I loved as a child that featured the Sesame Street character Grover, titled

Posts by Tyrus Manuel

Apr 11, 2016

Good Content Needs Plain Language

If good content is essential to good user experience, as Tyrus Manuel proposes in his November 23, 2015, DigitalGov post, then plain language is also part of good user experience. Plain language helps the public do what they need to do—find forms, apply for benefits, look up information and more—when they use federal websites and other

Posts by Cynthia Baur

Dec 23, 2015

Getting Serious About Good Writing—EIA’s Write Right Curriculum

Let’s see–you want to improve the skills of your agency’s writers. Here’s a to-do list: Enlist a high-level champion, ideally your agency head, to make statements saying writing skills are critical—check. Create a Writing Style Guide—check. Hold classes to introduce the Style Guide—check. Expand internal editing resources—check. But what’s next? If you really want to

Posts by Gina Pearson

Dec 11, 2015

Using Plain Language to Write for the Web

Plain language will make you a better writer. For federal employees, it’s also the law. On September 9th, Katherine Spivey, Co-Chair of the Plain Language Action and Information Network (PLAIN), presented a webinar on plain writing principles and how to apply them to Web writing. She also addressed how federal writers can comply with the

Posts by Ashley Wichman

Sep 16, 2015

Get Out of the Jargon Trap: Plain Language Training Can Help

The Plain Language Action and Information Network (PLAIN) is the official federal working group designated to help agencies with plain language, including training. PLAIN offers free 3.5-hour classes in the principles of plain language and plain language for Web writing.

Posts by Wendy Wagner-Smith

Aug 15, 2014